His grandfather Auguste, also an engineer, was the first man to take a balloon into the stratosphere.

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The mission was simple, to send a man up in a balloon higher than ever before, and have him safely jump to the ground.

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The balloon's pilot and another man, a passenger, are still missing.

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Pinsent, who was immediately behind the two eight-man university crews on a launch with umpire John Garrett, initially thought he had spotted a balloon.

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