June 5–8, 2026 — A remarkable chapter in aviation history may have just been written as the hydrogen-powered Atlantic Explorer completed an extraordinary transatlantic journey from Maine, USA, to Luxembourg, covering an incredible 2,852 nautical miles in 70 hours and 11 minutes.
Among the three-person crew was Albuquerque balloonist Peter Cuneo, alongside veteran pilot Bert Padelt and British adventurer Alicia Hempleman-Adams. The team launched before dawn on June 5 and rode powerful winds across the North Atlantic, enduring freezing temperatures as low as -17°C, heavy ice accumulation, rain, snow, and dwindling ballast supplies.
The mission was originally inspired by a desire to retrace the legendary 1978 Double Eagle II transatlantic crossing, achieved by New Mexico balloonists Ben Abruzzo, Maxi Anderson, and Larry Newman. After unsuccessful attempts in 2024 and 2025, the third try finally succeeded.
Flying at altitudes above 20,000 feet and speeds reaching 90 mph, the crew navigated changing weather conditions with support from meteorologists and ground teams on both sides of the Atlantic. They crossed Newfoundland, passed over the North Atlantic, made landfall near Normandy on the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, and finally touched down safely in Luxembourg on the morning of June 8.
If officially certified, the flight will become the longest transoceanic gas-powered balloon flight ever completed, marking a major milestone in modern ballooning and aviation history.