Project Manhigh

Manhigh was the name of a series of manned balloon ascents at altitudes of 30 kilometers, which was initiated in 1955 by the military of the United States.

The aim of the flights in an amount exceeding 99% of the Earth's atmosphere was the collection of scientific data on the behavior of a balloon at this altitude and the effect of cosmic radiation on humans. The program consisted of three manned and unmanned flights further:

• Manhigh I on June 2, 1957 Captain Joseph Kittinger to approximately 29,500 meters
• Manhigh II is between 19 and 20 August by Major David Simons to approximately 30,900 meters
• Manhigh III on 8 October 1958 under Lieutenant Clifton McClure to approximately 29,900 meters

The existing polyethylene helium balloon had a diameter of 60 meters and a volume of 85,000 cubic meters. The hermetic gondola weighed 747 kg.

The majority of flights were undertaken by the Holloman Air Force Base from.

I Manhigh

After several successful test flights with mice, hamsters and monkeys later it was decided to undertake a manned balloon flight in approximately 30,000 meters.

As a test pilot Joseph Kittinger was selected for this purpose, which then started with the balloon and the gondola in the morning of June 2 1957. Despite some technical difficulties - the gondola was unable to due to lack of money before their use in Manhigh I not be tested in a pressure chamber, so that went undetected an incorrectly built-in valve - reached the balloon with Kittinger the planned altitude of 29,500 meters. He then opened again escape of helium from the balloon so that it landed safely down again after a few hours.

Manhigh II

The next test flight took off in the early morning of August 19, 1957 as the target was set that David Simons - he was selected for this flight - to endure 24 hours in 30 kilometers. At times, however, the company was threatened by a -winding on the field bad weather. Simons was indeed with his balloon several kilometers above the storm. However, the cloud cover prevented that the thermal radiation of the earth escapes to space. Therefore, the air and thus the helium balloon was in Simon's cooler, so this down in the storm front in, sank. Simon still managed the night on the height of the balloon to keep it so that it ultimately unharmed only returned to Earth after 32 hours. His flight was used as evidence that a person can survive long periods of time in space, in the cosmic radiation.

Manhigh III

The last flight within the Manhigh program was Manhigh III. Clifton McClure climbed to 29,900 feet and landed back unharmed.