Red Bull Stratos Project - over 71,500 ft skydive

[ozrocker]

Pretty cool
Jumps from Space Capsule tethered to a balloon!

http://www.gadgetreview.com/2012/03/red-bull-stratos-71000-foot-test-jump.html

                                                                                                                                                           Oz

[Gh0stFT]

Looks like alot of fun & adrenaline 

lets see if he breaks Joe Klittingers record this summer,
the record is 50+ years old!

[saggs]

Looks like alot of fun & adrenaline  

lets see if he breaks Joe Klittingers record this summer,
the record is 50+ years old!

I'm pretty sure they will.  This project probably has as much money behind it, as the USAF did behind Kittenger in 1960, (and Kittenger himself is involved now too) yet look at how far the technology has come in 52 years.

As I read stories about this the one thing that keeps annoying me, is that they throw in some line about how they don't even know if he can survive breaking the sound barrier.  

If there were any doubt, from any credible source that he could survive transonic/supersonic freefall, they would not be doing this.   I'm curious as too how far that small of a sonic boom would carry    I doubt anyone on the ground would hear it, especially from that altitude.

[colmbo]

As I read stories about this the one thing that keeps annoying me, is that they throw in some line about how they don't even know if he can survive breaking the sound barrier.  

If there were any doubt, from any credible source that he could survive transonic/supersonic freefall, they would not be doing this.   I'm curious as too how far that small of a sonic boom would carry    I doubt anyone on the ground would hear it, especially from that altitude.

In 1947 there were the same concerns until we finally poked our noses past Mach 1.  Today it's a no brainer due to what we learned then, modern aircraft designs take advantage of the knowledge gained.

However, this guy isn't in an airplane.  His "shape" isn't the most aerodynamic so there probably is some question about  what it will be like in the transonic/supersonic area.  Some of the early airplanes had significant issues when approaching these speeds and they were at least somewhat aerodynamically designed.

[curry1]

In 1947 there were the same concerns until we finally poked our noses past Mach 1.  Today it's a no brainer due to what we learned then, modern aircraft designs take advantage of the knowledge gained.

However, this guy isn't in an airplane.  His "shape" isn't the most aerodynamic so there probably is some question about  what it will be like in the transonic/supersonic area.  Some of the early airplanes had significant issues when approaching these speeds and they were at least somewhat aerodynamically designed.

Haven't people ejected out of aircraft at supersonic speeds and survived?

[Tupac]

Haven't people ejected out of aircraft at supersonic speeds and survived?

They didnt reach supersonics speeds without that airplane, though.

[F22RaptorDude]

Haven't people ejected out of aircraft at supersonic speeds and survived?

Yes but with the injury sustained you'd wish you were dead, here I recall watching a video about a pilot ejecting after going into g lock, he ejected at mach 2, lemme find that video

[colmbo]

Haven't people ejected out of aircraft at supersonic speeds and survived?

At least one I know of.  Crew ejected from F15E, pilot very badlly injured but survived, back seater was killed.

[curry1]

They didnt reach supersonics speeds without that airplane, though.

The fact remains that they were in the air at supersonic speeds and not only that but survived the g forces of going into those supersonic winds.  I'd say that it has to be possible to break the sound barrier and as stated before if it was deadly they wouldn't do it.  But it isn't like all of this can't be modeled on a simulation.