Project Excelsior

The Excelsior Project was the name of a series of manned parachute jumps from heights of 20 and 30 kilometers in order to test a new parachute system, which was also suitable for emergency exits at high altitudes. The program consisted of three - each from the Air Force pilot Joseph Kittinger performed - jumps:

• Excelsior I on November 16, 1959 23,300 meters
• Excelsior II on December 11, 1959 22,800 meters
• Excelsior III on 16 August 1960 from 31,300 feet

Aim of the project

Since the emergency exit with a parachute from a flying with multiple sound speed jet aircraft from high altitude was often problematic and extremely dangerous to the Excelsior project was launched. The Excelsior project had set itself the goal to design a parachute system that was usable even in 30 km altitude and therefore in the stratosphere, and to prove that parachute jumps and from these heights are possible.

Technical details

Thus, do not appear too large forces on the pilot during an emergency exit in 30 km altitude, it may a long time its free fall slow, so do not open the parachute. During the minutes until the parachute can finally be opened, the pilot can easily fall into a tailspin and spin faster on its axis. Starting at 120 revolutions per minute is unconscious, more than 200 revolutions per minute are deadly. As a solution, a parachute system was invented, which consists of several parachutes. First, a braking parachute would open automatically, which is to stabilize the Springer. It was not until about 5,000 meters above sea level then opens the main parachute. The entire parachute system weighed 75 kg.

The climb took just as much as in a helium-filled gas balloon. However, it opted for an open gondola from the pilot jumps instead of a closed capsule. Since the air and it is very thin in 30 kilometers up to -70 ° C cold, the use of a pressure suit was necessary.

Excelsior I

The first manned test jump from Joseph Kittinger should first be made "only" from 23,300 meters above sea level, since it is not life-threatening at this level, if the space suit would fail. For this case, Kittinger had to breathe well before the rise of pure oxygen, so that the nitrogen would not form gas bubbles in his blood in case of sudden loss of pressure ( decompression sickness ).

After 1 ½ years of preparation, Kittinger took off with the balloon in the early morning of November 16 1959. Since he had the parachute automatic inadvertently activated too early, was triggered too early during the jump of the braking parachute, so this was not totally correct and Kittinger began to ever faster turn around its axis, until he was finally unconscious. However, since his main parachute deployed automatically and as expected, he landed intact.

Excelsior II

After the first test for Kittinger would have gone nearly fatal, a test jump was made on December 11, 1959 yet again "only" 22,800 meters out. This time the jump was successful, and he also presented with 16,800 yards set a new record for the longest free fall.

Excelsior III

On August 16, 1960 took place the morning of the planned jump from about 30 km altitude: Kittinger rose with the balloon to an altitude of 31 333 meters, from there he let himself out of the open gondola fall to the ground. He wore for this jump - beside his unopened parachute and the pressure suit - a helmet with radio and camera as well as a box for data recording. Kittinger fell four minutes and 36 seconds to about 5,500 meters in altitude, the main parachute opened. After another 9 ½ minutes, he landed safely.

Whether he broke the sound barrier at this jump is controversial. In an article for the National Geographic Magazine in December 1960 reported Kittinger:

" Though my stabilization screen at 96,000 feet ( = 29 261 meters) opens, I accelerate for another 6,000 feet ( = 1,829 m) and reach in the top 614 miles per hour ( = 988 km / h ), nine-tenths the speed of sound for my height. "

In some later publications, however, is of 714 mph ( = 1149 km / h ) or meets or exceeds the speed of sound are mentioned, also until at least July 2006 an official in Kittinger USAF biography and until January 2007 on the information page about the project Excelsior. Other contributions from recently, however, Kittinger's information from 1960 be confirmed by turn of a speed " up to 614 miles per hour " and tells of a " closer to the speed of sound " or it breaks through " almost the sound barrier when he briefly time 988 km / h reached. "Even in its current USAF biography of the words referred to in February 2005 has been corrected to 614 mph.

From the ( undisputed ) values ​​of the jump height and the height of fall Kittinger itself also leaves its theoretical top speed calculate that therefore at 275 m / s = 990 km / h is thus under the assumed sound speed of 1,003 km / h ( at -80 ° C ).

In this company Kittinger has set four world records: highest balloon ascent gondola, fastest speed by a human without any special protective shell, longest parachute jump and largest drop height. The latter record was surpassed, however, on 1 November 1962 by Yevgeny Andreyev.

Film

The first spaceman. Documentation, 2007, 44 min