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--> TeamGrumman-List message posted by: TeamGrumman@aol.com
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Subject: Fwd: Joe Kittinger's 100,000 Ft. Balloon Jump in 1960
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by smtp814.mail.sc5.yahoo.com with SMTP; 28 Feb 2004 05:59:03 -0000
From: "Kurt Boettcher" <kboettcher@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Joe Kittinger's 100,000 Ft. Balloon Jump in 1960
Joe Kittinger is not a household aviation name like Neil Armstrong or
Chuck Yeager. But what he did for the U.S. space program is comparable.
On Aug. 16, 1960, as research for the then- fledgling U.S. space
program, Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger rode a helium balloon to the
edge of space, 102,800 feet above the earth, a feat in itself. Then,
wearing just a thin pressure suit and breathing supplemental oxygen, he
leaned over the cramped confines of his gondola and jumped--into the
110-degree-below-zero, near vacuum of space. Within seconds his body
accelerated to 714mph in the thin air, breaking the sound barrier. After
free-falling for more than four and a half minutes, slowed finally by
friction from the heavier air below, he felt his parachute open at
14,000 feet, and he coasted gently down to the New Mexico desert floor.
Kittinger's feat showed scientists that astronauts could survive the
harshness of space with just a pressure suit and that man could eject
from aircraft at extreme altitudes and survive. Upon Kittinger's return
to base, a congratulatory telegram was waiting from the Mercury Seven
astronauts--including Alan Shepard and John Glenn. More than four
decades later Kittinger's two world records--the highest parachute jump,
and the only man to break the sound barrier without a craft and
live--still stand.
We decided to visit the retired colonel and Aviation Hall of Famer,
now 75, at his home in Altamonte Springs, Florida, to recall his
historic jump.
FORBES GLOBAL: Take us back to New Mexico and Aug. 16, 1960.
Joe Kittinger: We got up at 2 a.m. to start filling the helium
balloon. At sea level, it was 35 to 40 feet wide and 200 feet high; at
altitude, due to the low air pressure, it expanded to 25 stories in
width, and still was 20 stories high! At 4 a.m., I began breathing pure
oxygen for two hours. That's how long it takes to remove all the
nitrogen from your blood so you don't get the bends going so high so
fast. Then it was a lengthy dress procedure layering warm clothing under
my pressure suit. They kept me in air-conditioning until it was time to
launch because we were in the desert and I wasn't supposed to sweat. If
I did, my clothes would freeze on the way up.
How was your ascent?
It took an hour and a half to get to altitude. It was cold. At 40,000
feet, the glove on my right hand hadn't inflated. I knew that if I
radioed my doctor, he would abort the flight. If that happened, I knew I
might never get another chance because there were lots of people who
didn't want this test to happen. I took a calculated risk that I might
lose use of my right hand. It quickly swelled up, and I did lose use for
the duration of the flight. But the rest of the pressure suit worked.
When I reached 102,800 feet, maximum altitude, I wasn't quite over the
target. So I drifted for 11 minutes. The winds were out of the east.
What's it look like from so high up?
You can see about 400 miles in every direction. The most fascinating
thing is that it's just black overhead-the transition from normal blue
to black is very stark. You can't see stars because there's a lot of
glare from the sun, so your pupils are too small. I was struck with the
beauty of it. But I was also struck by how hostile it is: more than 100
degrees below zero, no air. If my protection suit failed, I would be
dead in a few seconds. Blood actually boils above 62,000 feet.
I went through my 46-step checklist, disconnected from the balloon's
power Supply, and lost all communication with the ground. I was
totally under power from the kit on my back. When everything was done, I
stood up, turned around to the door, took one final look out and said a
silent prayer: "Lord, take care of me now." Then I just jumped over the
side.
What were you thinking as you took that step?
It's the beginning of a test. I had gone through simulations many
times-more than 100. I rolled over and looked up, and there was the
balloon just roaring into space. I realized that the balloon wasn't
roaring into space; I was going down at a fantastic rate! At about
90,000 feet, I reached 714mph.
The altimeter on my wrist was unwinding very rapidly. But there was no
sense of speed. Where you determine speed is visual--if you see
something go flashing by. But nothing flashes by 20 miles up--there are
no signposts there, and you are way above any clouds.
When the chute opened, the rest of the jump was anticlimactic because
everything had worked perfectly. I landed 12 or 13 minutes later, and
there was my crew waiting. We were elated.
How about your right hand?
It hurt--there was quite a bit of swelling and the blood pressure in
my arm was high. But that went away in a few days, and I regained full
use of my hand.
What about attempts to break your record?
We did it for aircrews and astronauts--for the learning, not to set a
record.
They will be going up as skydivers. Somebody will beat it someday.
Records are made to be busted. And I'll be elated. But I'll also be
concerned that they're properly trained. If they're not, they're taking
a heck of a risk.
Mr. Kittinger was not out for two months nursing a sore hand.
Message
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<span style'font-size: 12.0pt'>
<span style'font-size:12.0pt'>Joe Kittinger is not a household aviation name=20like
Neil Armstrong or Chuck Yeager. But what he did for the U.S. space program is comparable.
On Aug. 16, 1960, as research for the then- fledgling U.S. space program,Air
Force Captain Joseph Kittinger
rode a helium balloon to the edge ofspace, 102,800 feet above the earth,
a feat in itself. Then, wearing justa thin pressure suit and breathing
supplemental oxygen, he leaned over thecramped confines of his gondola
and jumped--into the 110-degree-below-zero, near vacuum of space. Within
seconds his body accelerated to 714mphin the thin air, breaking the sound
barrier. After free-falling for more than four and a half minutes, slowed
finally by friction from the heavier air below, he felt his parachute open at
14,000 feet, and he coasted gently down to the New Mexico desert floor.
Kittinger's feat showed
scientists that astronauts could survive the harshness of space with just a
pressure suit and that man could eject from aircraft at extreme altitudes and
survive. Upon Kittinger's return to base, a congratulatory telegram
was waiting from the Mercury Sevenastronauts--including Alan Shepard and
John Glenn. More than four decades later Kittinger's two world records--the
highest parachute jump, and the only man to break the sound barrier without=20a
craft and live--still stand.
We decided to visit the
retired colonel and Aviation Hall of Famer, now 75, at his home in Altamonte=20Springs,
Florida, to recall his historic jump.
FORBES GLOBAL: Take us
back to New
Mexico and Aug. 16, 1960.
<span style'font-size:12.0pt'>Joe Kittinger: We got up at 2 a.m. to start filling
the helium balloon. At sea level, it
was 35 to 40 feet wide and 200 feet high; at altitude, due to the low air pressure,
it expanded to 25 stories in width, and still was 20 stories high! At 4 a.m.,
I began breathing pure oxygen for two hours. That's
how long it takes to remove all the nitrogen from your blood so you don't
get the bends going so high so fast. Then it was a lengthy dress procedure
layering warm clothing under my pressure suit. They kept me in
air-conditioninguntil it was time to launch because we were in the desert
and I wasn't supposed to sweat. If I did, my clothes would freeze on the way up.
How was your ascent?
<span style'font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>
It took an hour and a half
to get to altitude. It was cold. At 40,000 feet,the glove on my right
hand hadn't inflated. I knew that if I radioed mydoctor, he would abort
the flight. If that happened, I knew I might never get another chance
because there were lots of people who didn't want this test to happen. I
took a calculated risk that I might lose use of myright hand. It quickly
swelled up, and I did lose use for the duration of the flight. But the rest=20of
the pressure suit worked. When I reached102,800 feet, maximum altitude, I
wasn't quite over the target. So Idrifted for 11 minutes. The winds were
out of the east.
What's it look like from
so high up?
You can see about 400
miles in every direction. The most fascinating thing is that it's just black
overhead-the transition from normal blue to black is very stark. You can't see
stars because there's a lot of glare from the sun, so your pupils are too
small. I was struck with the beauty of it. But I was also struck by how hostile
it is: more than 100 degrees below zero, no air. If my protection suit failed,
I would be dead in a few seconds. Blood actually boils above 62,000 feet.
I went through my 46-step
checklist, disconnected from the balloon's powerSupply, and lost all
communication with the ground. I was totally under power
from the kit on my back. When everything was done, I stood up,turned
around to the door, took one final look out and said a silent prayer: Lord,
take care of me now. Then I just jumped over the side.
What were you thinking as
you took that step?
It's the beginning of a
test. I had gone through simulations many times-more than 100. I rolled
over and looked up, and there was the balloon justroaring into space.=20I
realized that the balloon wasn't roaring into space;I was going down at a
fantastic rate! At about 90,000 feet, I reached 714mph.
The altimeter on my wrist was
unwinding very rapidly. But there was no sense of speed. Where you determine
speed is visual--if you see something goflashing by. But nothing flashes
by 20 miles up--there are no signposts there, and you are way above any clouds.
When the chute opened, the
rest of the jump was anticlimactic because everything had worked perfectly.=20I
landed 12 or 13 minutes later, and there was my crew waiting. We were elated.
How about your right
hand?
<span style'font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>
It hurt--there was quite a bit of swelling and the blood pressure
in my arm was high. But that went away in a few days, and I regained full
useof my hand.
What about attempts to break your record?
We did it for aircrews and astronauts--for the learning, not to
set a record.
<span style'font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>
<span style'font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>They will be going
up as skydivers. Somebody will beat it someday. Recordsare made to be
busted. And I'll be elated. But I'll also be concerned thatthey're
properly trained. If they're not, they're taking a heck of a risk.
Mr. Kittinger was not out for two months nursing a sore hand.
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