An English-Swiss balloon team crossed the international dateline Sunday, floating over the Pacific Ocean toward Mexico in a bid to be the first balloonists to circle the globe nonstop, according to their control center in Geneva, Switzerland.
The spirits of pilots Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland and Brian Jones of Britain lifted as they picked up speed, the center said. They had been slightly dispirited because it seemed the balloon had been standing still over the immense Pacific.
The duo has had little but water to look at since leaving China last Wednesday.
After slowing to under 30 m.p.h. over the Pacific, the balloon found faster winds Sunday and was moving at up to 55 m.p.h. The two had flown 14,000 miles since taking off March 1 from the Swiss Alps.
Because Piccard and Jones are close to the equator, their huge silver balloon has been blocking satellite communications and the team has had to rely on radio relays. The satellite link was re-established Sunday after a 24-hour interruption.
Piccard and Jones passed the halfway point Saturday in their round-the-world bid.
