In 1960 Captain Joseph Kittinger hitched a ride on the Exceselsior III and rode it to an altitude of 102,800 feet. Not content with just taking in the awe-inspiring view, he then jumped out and headed for the Earth, breaking a lot of speed records in the process and only a parachute to bring him home.
During his excursion, Kittinger hit about 614 mph, and this trip down lasted for an amazing fourteen minutes, of which four and a half were all free fall. But it was not without problems – a seal on his right glove failed, causing his hand to swell to more than twice its normal size and leaving him with a case of frost bite.
The purpose of the Air Force experiment was to determine the effects of high altitude on humans, and to help design safe ejection systems for jet pilots. I figure the findings were put to use by the SR-71 Blackbird in later years, but what a wild ride.
via discovery
Joseph William Kittinger II
Joseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928) is a former Command Pilot and career military officer in the United States Air Force. He is most famous for his participation in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior, holding the records for having the highest, fastest and longest skydive, from a height greater than 31 km, and as being the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon. Serving as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, he was shot down and spent 11 months in a North Vietnamese prison.
source:wikipedia
