Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology, with two key parts - an envelope or bag and a gondola or basket. They require a source of heat, as heated air inside the envelope makes the balloon buoyant and able to rise to extreme altitudes. The Montgolfier brothers, Jacques-Etienne and Joseph-Michel, are credited with developing the first hot air balloon in the late 1700s in France. Their early demonstrations included launching a balloon filled with smoke and later carrying animals, paving the way for human flight. Balloons have since been used for military observation and transporting mail.