Preparing for Professor Piccard ' s ascent into the stratospherer at Zurich . Professor Piccard ' s attempt on the ascent into the stratosphere has been delayed for several days while repairs are being carried out to a leaking pipe . The sphere is kept in a tiny enclosure within a hangar and is heavily guarded day and night . Piles of cylinders of gas at the Dubendorf air field near Zurich , from which the ascent will be made , ready for inflating the balloon . 10 August 1932 . 10 August 1932