Balloonist Crossing Atlantic in Bid to Solo Around Globe

CHICAGO — Sweeping along on powerful and brutally cold jet-stream winds, millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett headed across the Atlantic on Tuesday on his quest to become the first balloonist to circle the Earth nonstop.

The 52-year-old Fossett, who lifted off from Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Monday night, was over the Atlantic Ocean 120 miles east of the North Carolina coast by Tuesday afternoon and said all was well despite overnight problems with one of two heaters.

To succeed in his one-man mission, the soft-spoken Chicago securities dealer must spend 15 to 18 days in his chilly Solo Spirit capsule just 4 feet wide and less than 6 feet high. Temperatures of 40 degrees were expected inside the capsule and 50 below outside.

Fossett is expected to reach Portugal or Spain on Friday, then turn north to France and east toward Denmark, cross Poland and Belarus and reach the Russian border on Saturday.