The Black Hills are lucky to have history regarding space flight with the Stratobowl flights of 1934 and 1935. In fact, the Stratobowl is known as the birthplace of the Space Age. Watch to learn why the first flight failed.

The 1934 flight, flown in the balloon Explorer, ended in a crash and barely missed the world record flight. The three men within the balloon jumped out and survived - but only barely.

The second flight, launched in the Explorer II, was successful in gathering information about the stratosphere that was previously unknown. These flights, supported by the Army Air Corps., shaped the way our stratosphere was understood in space exploration.