DENNYDOG
04-03-2008, 05:33 PM
I just saw a story about Joseph Kittinger on the ABC news. He is receiving the Air and Space Museum's Highest Honor Today.
This fearless daredevil helped pioneer the U.S. space program while setting multiple records in ballooning and parachuting, including a free-fall parachute jump from space, — 102,800 feet (20 miles!) — that still stands.
His 1960 feat remains the longest free fall in history and gives Kittinger the distinction of being the fastest human that has ever traveled without an engine. Kittinger's free-fall lasted more than four minutes and he traveled 614 mph or mach .9- %90 the speed of sound!
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0243.shtml
This fearless daredevil helped pioneer the U.S. space program while setting multiple records in ballooning and parachuting, including a free-fall parachute jump from space, — 102,800 feet (20 miles!) — that still stands.
His 1960 feat remains the longest free fall in history and gives Kittinger the distinction of being the fastest human that has ever traveled without an engine. Kittinger's free-fall lasted more than four minutes and he traveled 614 mph or mach .9- %90 the speed of sound!
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0243.shtml