All systems go for record-breaking leap

Source: Canada.com

Published: 6 minutes ago
NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. - Final preparations began at 4 a.m. local time in this small Saskatchewan community for a record breaking jump by a French adventurer and parachutist who plans to leap from a height of 40 kilometres later this morning.

A spokesman for the team supporting Michel Fournier, 64, said the weather was co-operating and they expected the jump to go ahead as planned.

<snip>

Estimates put the launch date at between 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. local time. Fournier is expected to open the door to the capsule hanging from the towering balloon about 21/2 hours later and leap from an altitude of 130,000 feet, or 40 kilometres above the flat expanse of the Saskatchewan prairie.

<snip>

"If he succeeds, scientists will get together to see if men can survive a return from space after something like the Americans experienced when their shuttles got in trouble. If the ending is bad - it's something we are thinking of - it will be a great loss for we have formed a great attachment to Michel, with his charisma and tenacity. But we think he has the right star above his head."



Read more: http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=9f39b392-c61f-460b-bc68-2842f0b91995

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Regular updates (English) on the launch and jump: http://www.thesuperjump.org/01_eng.html

* Courageously channeled by Ye Olde Spiral Hawk, who braved the diaper-sex-befouled netherworld of republicon occultism to bring back this snarky report.

:rofl:

I just donated to DU, is it now turning into a sorta "Fox News"?

:eyes:

848 posts and a donation, and you feel qualified to judge what's LBN? And you don't care if someone dies?

:evilgrin:

http://www.balloonlife.com/publications/balloon_life/9510/balloonm.htm

A&E has a cool special about him (clip here):
http://www.history.com/media.do?action=clip&id=most_kittinger_broadband

Thank you! :thumbsup:

then the reserve chute deployed. :scared: Had that been me, there would have been _no_ second jump. Nuh-uh.

he had a third automatic one. The first one wrapped around his neck and choked him; the second didn't open properly and the third one opened at 1000 feet - can't have been a very soft landing!

Can't imagine free-falling for such a height. :scared:

in a Saab turboprop-- not even any "real" mountains to fly over, either.

...Hillary Clinton's faith in her "eventual" nomination.:D

:rofl:

:hi:

(may require plugin)

Link at top of this page:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/05/26/french.skydiver/index.html

My stomach has butterflies just thinking about HIM free falling for 7.5 minutes at speeds of up to 1.68 times the speed of sound. My mind has already warned me of the physical reactions it has planned if I imagine myself in his place. :puke:

Bon voyage, Mr. Fournier!

But K&R from me, you in the Alps...:pals:

:(

Better safe than sorry, though. The guy has guts.

This is per CNN.

Thank you for letting us know about the delay. x(

Due to overcast weather condition early this morning, we had a
delay of 2 hours as a result when Michel Fournier arrived at the
launching pad it was a little after 6h00am . Upon arrival at the
launching pad, Michel started breathing oxygen for the next 2
hours ;  however, during that time the wind started
picking up.  By 8 o’clock, we sent out weather ballon to
check the wind speed and did another test at 8h30 and at 9h00,
it was then decided to postpone the jump for the next day . 
Weather forecast for tomorrw is excellent

...the Earth's atmosphere.

True he'll be jumping from 240,000 feet, just above where the Columbia started to break up, but it was traveling at Mach 24.

There's no way a crew that gets into trouble could stop their descent and bail out at a virtual standstill, or survive a vertical ejection at that speed to negate reentry velocity.

I hope he's wearing asbestos underwear, it's going to be very warm.

Sorry for the lame pun.

I'm not quite seeing what his jump is going to do for astronauts either, but heck, it's something to do, right?

At 64 I'm sure he's had a pretty good run.

If things work out, you're in the history books.

If not, at least you got to see some good scenery and went out in a blaze of glory.

He might need some of that, too. :shrug:

Inflation of the balloon will begin soon. Rescue teams are getting set up at the recovery spot; fire and ambulance crews are onsight now.

http://www.legrandsaut.org/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24821986/

Oh, shit.

it's best to have it on the ground.

:hi:

to make his jump from the International Space Station. It's all set up and there are no complicated balloons to deal with. :rofl:

nt

Just think about it.

If he makes it in one piece will is body be the same again.

Those kinds of speeds are easily survivable with that little air pressure, and people who jump from near those heights slow well below subsonic by the time they get far enough down to deploy a parachute. Distance is entirely irrelevant as a concern, too; the amount of deceleration at the end, and maintaining integrity in the suit, are the only things that really matter.

What's to think about? Long as his chute opens and other well-duh stuff, he'll be fine.

Source: CNN

updated 1 hour, 29 minutes ago

Balloon blows away free fall record bid

(CNN) -- French skydiver Michel Fournier's bid for a record-
breaking parachute jump from Earth's stratosphere was aborted
Tuesday when the balloon that was to carry him into the far
reaches of the sky slipped away from his flight crew.

The former paratrooper had hoped to set new records for the
highest jump, fastest free fall, longest free fall and the
highest altitude reached by a man in a balloon. But those
hopes drifted away over the plains of Saskatchewan when the
balloon escaped.

Still clad in his bright yellow pressure suit, the visibly
frustrated Fournier waved away cameras after his ride slipped
away shortly after 5 a.m. (7 a.m. ET). There was no immediate
word on how the effort was botched, but his flight crew was
attempting to recover the balloon, according to his official
Web site.

Fournier, 64, planned to start his "Big Jump" at 40 kilometers
(25 miles) above the Earth's surface and land safely -- a risky
proposition that French authorities already had barred on
their territory.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/05/27/freefall.skydiver/

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Earlier thread: All systems go for record-breaking leap

I don't know whether to feel sorry for the guy or to simply just laugh out loud.

I love balloons!

Didn't anybody on that team watch the Wizard of Oz?

"Consult your local republicon occultist before trying again."

- Ronald Reagan's Dead republicon Astrologer

I remember seeing it as a kid, and the simple beauty of it all sticks into my mind today.

dp

mass delusions:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :scared: :scared: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat:

Betcha from now on, they'll tie it to their wrists like I used to do with my kids when we were at an amusement park!

Up, up, and awaaaaaay in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!