May 04

On May 4, 1961, Malcolm Ross and US Navy Lieutenant Commander Victor Prather ascended in the Strato-Lab V open gondola. They reached an altitude of 113,740 feet (34.67 km), setting a new world record for manned balloon flight. The mission aimed to study the effects of high altitude on the human body and evaluate life support systems. Flying in an open gondola, they relied on advanced pressure suits and ground support for communication and navigation. Their achievement pushed the boundaries of aeronautical exploration and contributed to the emerging space race. Data from the flight informed the design of future high-altitude and space missions.

Space Shuttle Atlantis launched STS-30 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 4, 1989, with a four-member crew aboard. Its primary payload, the Magellan probe, was destined for Venus to perform high-resolution radar mapping. This mission marked NASA's first Venus exploration since the 1970s. Magellan used synthetic-aperture radar to penetrate the planet's dense clouds and map over 98% of its surface. The shuttle completed its four-day mission successfully, deploying the probe precisely on schedule. Magellan entered Venus orbit in August 1990 and revolutionized our understanding of the planet's geology and topography.