Breaking The Record
By 1989, they had broken the previous record by diving to a depth of 40,230 feet (7.5 miles). This boosted their confidence. They should be able to fly considerably higher than 44,000 feet by the end of 1990 if everything goes well.
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Something Down There
It was even more impressive when they anticipated reaching 49,000 feet as early as 1993. However, something unexpected was lurking under the desolate tundra.