Medal commemorating first free balloon stratospheric flight of Professor Auguste Piccard (1884-1962) and Dr. Paul Kipfer, in balloon FNRS, from Augsburg in Germany, 27 May 1931. Bronze; 60mm diameter, 2mm thickness. Bayer. Hauptmunzamt. [Bavarian State Mint]. Artist signed K. Goetz. Piccard designed a spherical, pressurised aluminium gondola allowing ascent to great altitude without requiring a pressure suit; he gathered much data on the upper atmosphere and studied cosmic rays; the first of 27 balloon flights; took off from Augsburg, Germany, and reached a record altitude of 15,785 m (51,775 ft).