Jean Piccard

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jean Piccard (left in the trapeze) with his brother Auguste (right) as HD soldiers in the Swiss balloon troop, 1914–1918

Jean Felix Piccard (born January 28, 1884 in Basel , † January 28, 1963 in Minneapolis ), usually just called Jean, was a Swiss chemist . He was the twin brother of Auguste Piccard and took US citizenship in 1931.

Piccard developed in 1933 the balloon "Century of Progress" and then very thin balloon sleeves made of polyethylene . He also improved liquid gas systems for supplying oxygen at great heights. He was also significantly involved in the development of unmanned balloons for altitude research.

"Century of Progress" broke in November 1933 with 18,665 meters (61,237 feet) the altitude record in the stratosphere , which Piccard's twin brother Auguste Piccard achieved on August 18, 1932 (16,201 meters). On October 23, 1934, Jean Piccard was the "scientific director" of a balloon flight at 17,550 meters (57,579 feet). The balloon was piloted by his wife Jeannette Piccard , who received the first license for a balloon pilot in the United States in July 1934. Until the flight of the cosmonaut Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, she was the only woman in the stratosphere.

Piccard taught at the University of Lausanne and the University of Minnesota , among others .

The marriage with Jeannette Piccard, née Ridlon, had three sons. Don Piccard, born in 1926, was responsible for the revival of hot air ballooning after 1960 .

In honor of Jean Felix Piccard, Gene Roddenberry named his main character Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Spaceship Enterprise: The Next Century , who is said to be a direct descendant of Piccard, after this.

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Piccard, Jean
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Piccard, Jean Felix
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss chemist
DATE OF BIRTH January 28, 1884
PLACE OF BIRTH Basel , Switzerland
DATE OF DEATH January 28, 1963
Place of death Minneapolis , Minnesota , USA