Joe Kittinger: Jumping from the Edge of Space
Kittinger, in his suit, next to the Excelsior gondola. Wikipedia
Are you surprised that the highest, fastest and longest skydive ever took place over a half century ago?
Try to wrap your mind around it.
In August 16th 1960, military pilot Colonel Joseph W Kittinger took a giant 200ft diameter helium balloon to the edge of space in a NASA mission known as Excelsior III (the third attempts at Project Excelsior). He actually reached the stratosphere, 102,800 feet (31,300 m) above sea level in a pressure-resistant suit with 99% of all Earth’s atmosphere beneath him. Then, he did something nuts – he jumped!
For the first part of the fall – the atmosphere was so thin Kittinger felt zero wind resistance and believed he was suspended in space until, after four minutes and 36 seconds of freefall at almost 1000 km/h, he penetrated the troposphere and met it’s wind resistance where at last he opened his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m).
Joseph Kittinger, a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, where he was shot down and spent 11 months in a North Vietnamese prison, was also the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon.
Kittinger captured the descent on camera, which you can marvel at for yourself.
Editor’s Note: What have you done lately?
This story made my day, and the video made my month. Thanks for sharing this!
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