Another milestone in our human adventure

When Steve Fossett took off in a balloon for his sixth attempt to be the first to circle the globe, there was some passing interest, since previous attempts by Fossett and others had always failed.

But the flight produced its share of anticipation, mainly because of the high likelihood that it would end in tragedy or even the death of Fossett himself.

But this time, the Chicago millionaire took advantage of skill and luck to satisfy the arbiters of around-the-world balloon flights, sticking to the southern hemisphere but crossing enough land masses and oceans to qualify as a bona fide winner.

While some high technology helped Fossett make the trip, there were no earth-shaking scientific advancements in this balloon ride. But the notion that a man can overcome such obstacles is still a part of our human drama.

Future adventurers will look to the ocean depths or the edges of outer space to reach new milestones in our never-ending quest to go farther, faster, higher and deeper. Three cheers for these hardy souls.