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Hot air balloons consists of three main parts. The basket is where passengers are held. The envelope is the part that gets filled with air. The first balloon had an envelope made of silk, but many envelopes today are made with nylon. Baskets are made with many different materials.

The burner is the most important part of the balloon. The system either heats up the air or fills the envelope with another, lighter-than-air gas, like helium. This is so the balloon has bouyancy, which is how it is able to float in the air.