Albert William Stevens


Albert William Stevens was an officer in the United States Army Air Corps, balloonist, and aerial photographer.

Biography

He was born on March 13, 1886 in Belfast, Maine. He graduated from the University of Maine.
While flying over South America in 1930, Stevens took the first photograph of the Earth in a way that the horizon's curvature is visible. To cut through haze, Stevens often employed infrared-sensitive film for long-distance aerial shots whose subjects were visually obscured.
Accompanied by Lieutenant Charles D. McAllister of the Army Air Corps, Stevens took the first photograph of the Moon's shadow projected onto the Earth during a solar eclipse in August, 1932.
On July 29, 1934, Stevens and two other Army Air Corps officers, Major William Kepner and Captain Orvil Arson Anderson, ascended in a specially-constructed balloon and gondola named Explorer I over north-western Nebraska in an attempt to break the current altitude record for manned flight. However, nearing the current record height, the balloon envelope ruptured, sending the gondola plunging to earth. Fortunately, all three crew were able to eventually exit and parachute to earth before the gondola crashed into a farm field.
On November 11, 1935, Stevens, along with Captain Anderson, made a record balloon ascent from the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota. There were 20,000 spectators, while millions listened to a live NBC broadcast. Their sealed gondola Explorer II climbed to, nearly, a record unequaled until 1956.
Stevens was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross – one award each for his two famous balloon flights.
He died on March 26, 1949, in Redwood City, California.