Jean Piccard

Jean -Felix Piccard ( born January 28, 1884 in Basel, † January 28, 1963 in Minneapolis ), often just called Jean, was a Swiss chemist and the twin brother of Auguste Piccard. In 1931, Piccard an American citizen.

Piccard flew first with a balloon with plastic wrap and later developed very thin balloon polyethylene envelopes. He also improved LPG systems to supply oxygen at high altitudes. He was also instrumental in the development of unmanned stratospheric balloons. Jean -Felix Piccard broke the balloon altitude record flight into the stratosphere of his twin brother Auguste Piccard on August 18, 1932 ( 16,940 m ) was achieved, along with his wife Jeannette Piccard, who piloted the balloon and the first balloon pilot ever was. They surpassed their own altitude record a few years later. The highest flight took place at 17,700 meters (11 miles) on 23 October 1934. This altitude record kept Jeannette Piccard over 50 years.

Piccard taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Minnesota.

From the marriage with Jeannette Piccard, born Ridlon, emerged three sons. One of the sons, Donald Piccard ( born 1926 ), was responsible in 1960 for the revival of the hot-air balloon flying.

In honor of Jean -Felix Piccard named Gene Roddenberry its main character Captain Jean -Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which is supposed to be a direct descendant of Jean -Felix Picard, after this.