Jean-Louis Étienne took off this morning

French medical explorer Jean-Louis Étienne left dry land this morning aboard his balloon, equipped for scientific studies; for the first solo crossing of the North Pole by balloon. Departing from Longyearbie, Norway, he is expected to arrive in Alaska, after a 3,500 km journey that should last "between seven and 10 days," according to a press release from the organizing committee, Generali Arctic Observer.

During his voyage, the explorer will have to take «scientific measurements CO2, the magnetic field, suspended particles and tropospheric ozone», says the press release. His balloon is a rozière (a mixed gas and helium balloon), a replica of the one used by Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland and Brian Jones of England, who were the first to circumnavigate the globe in an aerostat in 1999, as well as the American Steve Fosset, who completed the same journey solo in 2002.

Source: 20minutes.fr -April 5, 2010