i watched that one live, surprised google, the attention whores that they are, didn't make a big deal out of this one
Posted on 10/24/2014 3:12:43 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) -- Google executive Alan Eustace broke the sound barrier and set several skydiving records over the southern New Mexico desert early Friday after taking a big leap from the edge of space. Eustace's supersonic jump was part of a project by Paragon Space Development Corp. and its Stratospheric Explorer team, which has been working secretly for years to develop a self-contained commercial spacesuit that would allow people to explore some 20 miles above the Earth's surface. Friday's success marked a major step forward in that effort, company officials said. "This has opened up endless possibilities for humans to explore previously seldom visited parts of our stratosphere," Grant Anderson, Paragon president and CEO, said in a statement. After nearly three years of intense planning, development and training, Eustace began his ascent via a high-altitude, helium-filled balloon just as the sun was rising. It took more than two hours to hit a record altitude of 135,908 feet, from which he separated himself from the balloon and started plummeting back to Earth. Wearing his specially designed spacesuit, Eustace hit a top velocity of 822 mph during a freefall that lasted 4 1/2 minutes. Jim Hayhurst, director of competition at the United States Parachute Association, was the jump's official observer. He said Eustace deployed a drogue parachute that gave him incredible stability and control despite the massive Mach 1.23 speed reached during the freefall. Eustace didn't feel it when he broke the sound barrier, but the ground crew certainly heard the resulting sonic boom.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
“This has opened up endless possibilities for humans to explore previously seldom visited parts of our stratosphere”
Yes, for about three seconds.
Yes, by about 20,000’ feet or so.
It was inevitable. Does anybody know the approximate highest point that somebody could do this?
—I’m curious just what there is to “explore” twenty miles above the earth’s surface——
Space Disneyland.
(843.6 mph)—Mach 1.25/ 822 mph-Mach 1.23
127,851 ft/ 135,908 feet
Looks like a split record upon further checking
Just thought of this: What would things look like if somebody doing this were to hit a bird? (instead of a bird hitting a plane)
I’m thinking nothing survives
8,057’
Sorry, I was guessing from memory. Looks like 8,000’.
Sounds like they are just prepping for the next event for the adrenaline rush junkies
Whatever he passes at 19 miles?
Well since 90% of Google Executives’ are left wing moonbats this mode of transport would likely be very useful for them.
I bet 90% is on the low side.
They are also exploring how to get astronauts, that get stranded on the ISS home. It would be easier to get them home, if they could leap from the station and jet toward earth until gravity has them then send up a rocket to link with the station.
Was there a rolling donut involved in this?
i watched that one live, surprised google, the attention whores that they are, didn't make a big deal out of this one
LOL, no doubt. It’s past time that the “evil” Koch brothers got into tech and social media. :-}
They only reach and maintain these extremely high speeds far above the part of the atmosphere where birds are capable of flying. In the case of supersonic skydivers the atmosphere itself helps them slow down as the air gets thicker closer to the ground.
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