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Frenchman Michel Fournier is readying himself and equipment to attempt a record-setting free fall from the stratosphere.

Dubbed "The Big Jump", Fournier is eyeing next month for his supersonic free fall from about 130,000 feet (40 kilometers)--roughly 25 miles above the Earth. The dive from a balloon-carried gondola is slated to take place above the plains of Saskatchewan, Canada.

The 62-year old Fournier is an experienced parachutist, pilot and former military officer. He hopes his ultra-sky dive will contribute to the development of future technologies and the safety of stratospheric flight--specifically by astronauts in high altitude emergencies that are outfitted with the proper survival equipment.

 

That's just nuts. More power to him.

It would be amazing if he can pull it off but I'd never have the nerve to do that.

Imagine breaking the sound barrier in free fall.

The guy has nerve for sure.

I'd look like this the entire time and probably for weeks afterwards.

 

I wonder what his free fall speed will be when he pops the chute. What material would hold up to that kinda shock?

 

Giant Underpants

 

Those straps have to go somewhere!!!! Talk about an atomic nut squish.

Reminds me of the Bill Engvall story. Funny guy.

 

There was a guy that has done this...not that high up, but high enough where he went close to super sonic...once you get to thicker air you slow down enough to where the opening will not cut you in half. I think the only problem he had was a malfunction w/his glove which produced a bit of frostbite...I'll see if I can find the story..

BTW, I believe this guy was testing/figuring out at what altitude astronauts good safely bail out..

R/
Craig

Edit:
Here it is..
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/es...inger/EX31.htm

 

I'd like to point out that @ that altitude, the spave shuttle is going somewhere in the nieghborhood of 6000 mph. No-one is gonna bail out.

 

If its going down they might.

 

On August 16, 1960, Kittinger jumped his last Excelsior jump, doing so from an air-thin height of 102,800 feet (31,334 meters). From that nearly 20 miles altitude, his tumble toward terra firma took some 4 minutes and 36 seconds. Exceeding the speed of sound during the fall, Kittinger used a small stabilizing chute before a larger, main parachute opened in the denser atmosphere.

Joe Kittinger

Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger, Jr. jumps from Excelsior III balloon gondola in 1960 test, freefalling toward Earth for over 4 minutes. CREDIT: U.S. AIR FORCE
He safely touched down in barren New Mexico desert, 13 minutes 45 seconds after he vaulted into the void.

 

I was under the impression that terminal velocity for any human being regardless of weight is about 127 mph.

 

Terminal velocity

 

I think the guy is insane!

 

With a freefall starting high enough, going fast enough, I'd die from fright, don't matter how good, or how big the parachute is...

Like Butch said to Sundance ""You crazy? The fall will probably kill you."

 

Isn't the speed of sound like 700+ mph or whatever a mach is?

 

FYI Terminal velocity isint a constant. In the upper altitudes it will be higher because of the lesser atmosphere. IE Less Drag. Also the speed of sound isint a constant either. Same thing. The higher you go it changes.

the speed of sound, about 330 m/s or 760 mph at sea level,
@ 100,000 feet its 685 mph

Mach calculator
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/machu.html