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From paper to the conquest of the skies and space

On 17 December 1782, a strange paper bag inflates above a fire in the Montgolfier brothers' garden. It straightens up and lifts off into the sky. It crosses the river and gently lands on a hillside. Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier transformed the dream of Icarus into a reality. One day, man will fly like a bird… 
1782 was a fundamental year for science: Lavoisier discovered the composition of water.
Flight of the first aerostat in the garden of the Vidalon paper mill on 14 December 1782
© Musée des Papeteries Canson et Montgolfier