FASTEST SPEED EVER REACHED BY A HUMAN WITHOUT A VEHICLE
You have probably heard about - or done - some form of extreme free-fall, be it sky diving, bungee jumping, or base jumping. But how many people can claim to skydive from an altitude that was almost out of the atmosphere? Joseph Kittinger can, and he still holds a number of records due to one particular jump: the highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest free-fall, and fastest speed by man through the atmosphere.
On August 16, 1960, Kittinger made his most famous free-fall. In this flight, he made it up to an altitude of 102,800 feet, breaking a previous record made by David Simons during Project Man High. He stayed at this altitude for about 12 minutes, which must have been very unpleasant - not only was it as cold as 94 minus Fahrenheit, but he had a severe pain in his right hand from a malfunctioning pressurized glove. Then, he jumped. He fell for almost five minutes before reaching a safe altitude to open his main parachutes and float down to the ground. In this time, he went as fast as 614 MPH (988 km/h)- not quite breaking the sound barrier, as some claimed he had, but still achieving the fastest speed by man through the atmosphere.
Kittinger wearing his heavy gear standing next to the Excelsior gondola
Automatic camera recording Kittinger as he leapt from the Excelsior balloon
Joseph Kittinger plummeting during his free-fall back to Earth
Famous photo of Joseph Kittinger during his record skydive
Gondola of the Stargazer balloon
please comment on dis guyz
You have probably heard about - or done - some form of extreme free-fall, be it sky diving, bungee jumping, or base jumping. But how many people can claim to skydive from an altitude that was almost out of the atmosphere? Joseph Kittinger can, and he still holds a number of records due to one particular jump: the highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest free-fall, and fastest speed by man through the atmosphere.
On August 16, 1960, Kittinger made his most famous free-fall. In this flight, he made it up to an altitude of 102,800 feet, breaking a previous record made by David Simons during Project Man High. He stayed at this altitude for about 12 minutes, which must have been very unpleasant - not only was it as cold as 94 minus Fahrenheit, but he had a severe pain in his right hand from a malfunctioning pressurized glove. Then, he jumped. He fell for almost five minutes before reaching a safe altitude to open his main parachutes and float down to the ground. In this time, he went as fast as 614 MPH (988 km/h)- not quite breaking the sound barrier, as some claimed he had, but still achieving the fastest speed by man through the atmosphere.
Kittinger wearing his heavy gear standing next to the Excelsior gondola
Automatic camera recording Kittinger as he leapt from the Excelsior balloon
Joseph Kittinger plummeting during his free-fall back to Earth
Famous photo of Joseph Kittinger during his record skydive
Gondola of the Stargazer balloon
please comment on dis guyz
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