In aeronautics, a balloon is an unpowered aerostat, which remains aloft or floats due to its buoyancy. A balloon may be free, moving with the wind, or tethered to a fixed point. It is distinct from an airship, which is a powered aerostat that can propel itself through the air in a controlled manner.
A hot air balloon in flight
In 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones achieved the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation in Breitling Orbiter 3.
"Aerostation out at Elbows, or The Itinerant Aeronaut" print illustration and poem (1785)
Hot air balloons, San Diego
Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identifies the aspects of "aeronautical Art, Science and Engineering" and "The profession of Aeronautics ."
Space Shuttle Atlantis on a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
Designs for flying machines by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1490
Montgolfier brothers flight, 1784
Lilienthal in mid-flight, Berlin c. 1895