More Amazing video..

[Sunuva]

Skydiving From The Edge Of The World

Skydiving From The Edge Of The World

Skydiving From The Edge Of The World

On August 16, 1960, Joe Kittinger lifted off from Earth more... in a helium balloon called Excelsior III (experimenting the effects of high altitude on the human body) and rose to a hight of 102,800 feet (31,300 m). Once he reached the edge of space, he did something incredibly brave and amazing...He JUMPED! Kittinger was in freefall for 4½ minutes and reached a maximum speed of 614 mph (988 km/h) before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). The total time from jump to landing took 13 minutes and 45 seconds. According to Kittinger, he broke the speed of sound during that famous highest jump. This may be debatable, as other references give his peak speed at 614 (988 km/h) or 618 (994 km/h) miles per hour, or mach 0.9. He set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest freefall and fastest speed by a man through the atmosphere.

[JThompson]

Skydiving From The Edge Of The World

Skydiving From The Edge Of The World

Skydiving From The Edge Of The World

On August 16, 1960, Joe Kittinger lifted off from Earth more... in a helium balloon called Excelsior III (experimenting the effects of high altitude on the human body) and rose to a hight of 102,800 feet (31,300 m). Once he reached the edge of space, he did something incredibly brave and amazing...He JUMPED! Kittinger was in freefall for 4½ minutes and reached a maximum speed of 614 mph (988 km/h) before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). The total time from jump to landing took 13 minutes and 45 seconds. According to Kittinger, he broke the speed of sound during that famous highest jump. This may be debatable, as other references give his peak speed at 614 (988 km/h) or 618 (994 km/h) miles per hour, or mach 0.9. He set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest freefall and fastest speed by a man through the atmosphere.

Ya, I remember that from long ago... An Aussie broke the sound barrier on a jump from out there. There was no drag from the air, so he broke the barrier unassisted.

[shred]

They had the balloon capsule on display in Houston at NASA once while I was down there. It's a pretty simple affair with a little half-height door with "Watch your step" scross the bottom. I thought that was hilarious.

On one of the flights he lost his pressure suit glove and his hand ballooned up to twice it's normal size before he jumped.. he didn't want to abort the flight and just dealt with it.. that's pretty old-time hardman stuff.

[Sunuva]

old-tyme hardman stuff. You got that right. the balloon capsule is here in Dayton Ohio at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. this is from my bro

Mad Kaw thanks Steve.

Captain Kittinger was then assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. For Project Excelsior (meaning "ever upward", a name given to the project by Colonel Stapp), as part of research into high altitude bailout, he made a series of three parachute jumps wearing a pressurized suit, from a helium balloon with an open gondola.

The first, from 76,400 feet (23,287 m) in November, 1959 was a near tragedy when an equipment malfunction caused him to lose consciousness, but the automatic parachute saved him (he went into a flat spin at a rotational velocity of 120 rpm; the G factor at his extremities was calculated to be over 22 times that of gravity, setting another record). Three weeks later he jumped again from 74,700 feet (22,769 m). For that return jump Kittinger was awarded the Leo Stevens parachute medal.

On August 16, 1960 he made the final jump from the Excelsior III at 102,800 feet (31,330 m). He was in freefall for 4 minutes and 36 seconds reaching a maximum speed of 714 mph (1,149 km/h) before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). Pressurization for his right glove malfunctioned during the ascent, causing his hand to swell. He set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest freefall and fastest speed by a man through the atmosphere. [1]

The jumps were made in a "rocking-chair" position, descending on his back, rather than the usual delta familiar to skydivers, because he was wearing a 60-lb "kit" on his behind and his pressure suit naturally formed that shape when inflated, a shape appropriate for sitting in an airplane cockpit.

For the series of jumps, Kittinger was decorated with an oak leaf cluster to his D.F.C. and awarded the Harmon Trophy by President Dwight Eisenhower