Soldiers Inflating Weather Balloon at Lowry Air Force Base

(Original Caption) Air Force Balloons Soar 70,000 Plus Feet. Denver, Colorado: A 175 foot meteorological balloon was launched from Lowry Air Force Base yesterday in another of a series of tests being conducted to study weather phenomena. Photo at left shows the balloon being inflated. The gondola rests on a big truck. On a signal the balloon is freed and starts rapidly to rise downwind between 500 and 600 feet per minute. Right photo shows the balloon adrift. The gondola trails about 75 feet below the gas filled plastic bag. When the purpose of the flight has been accomplished, a present mechanism will release the gondola and it will parachute to earth. The balloon then will rise and pressure will cause it to burst. The equipment will register such things as wind patterns, air turbulence and other data to be used in long range weather forecasting. Each gondola is clearly