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  Joseph-Michel
and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier invented the first practical
hot-air balloon. Their first successful balloon test took
place in 1782 where they discovered that hot air in a lightweight
paper or fabric bag would cause it to rise. In a more extensive
test, in June 1783, a paper-lined linen balloon filled with
heated air by burning straw and wool under the opening at
the bottom rose 1800 m (6000 ft).
 In
September 1783 they demonstrated in Versailles their balloon
to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, sending aloft and safely
recovering a duck, rooster, and sheep. Flights with human
passengers were made two months later. Modifications and
improvements of the basic Montgolfier design were incorporated
in the construction of larger balloons that, in later years,
opened the way to exploration of the upper atmosphere.
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