Man falls from space

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

... and breaks the sound barrier on the way down, lands safely via parachute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FHtvDA0W34I

[youtube=425,350]FHtvDA0W34I[/youtube]

After flying to an altitude of 39,045 meters (128,100 feet) in a helium-filled balloon, Felix Baumgartner completed a record breaking jump for the ages from the edge of space, exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane. Felix reached a maximum of speed of 1,342.8 km/h (833mph) through the near vacuum of the stratosphere before being slowed by the atmosphere later during his 4:20 minute long freefall. The 43-year-old Austrian skydiving expert also broke two other world records (highest freefall, highest manned balloon flight), leaving the one for the longest freefall to project mentor Col. Joe Kittinger.

Watch the Full Recap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOoHArAzdug

(emphasis mine... it's cool... watch the long video if you can, it's only 5 minutes)

[Griffin NoName]

Paul Merton suggested bungee jumping might have been fun in this context

[Sibling DavidH]

I can't get over the fact that a balloon will take a load up to 10mB.  Yes, I know it's Archimedes thingy, but it still seems counter-intuitive.

And I wonder why they didn't use hydrogen for an odd one like this.  The Helium cost a fortune.  I know about the safety aspect and the Hindenburg and all that, but surely for this event you could accept that tiny risk.  You could make your balloon a lot smaller, too.

[Swatopluk]

Half the size actually but hydrogen has the other disadvantage that it is far more able to escape.
What surprises me that the whole thing holds together with a hull only 20 µm thin (even with stabilizer bands).

[Swatopluk]

Btw, what happened to capsule and baloon?

[Griffin NoName]

They continued upwards until they hit Andromina, split into three chunks and fell back to earth, knocking Mrs Jane Tripset off her bike.




No idea

[pieces o nine]

...comment on this event at TOP, thought you dujes would enjoy it...   

[Sibling DavidH]

They continued upwards until they hit Andromina, split into three chunks and fell back to earth, knocking Mrs Jane Tripset off her bike.No idea

LOL

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Btw, what happened to capsule and baloon?

I asked that very same question myself-- could not find a straight answer.   It was clear there was a mechanism in place to abort the mission from the outside, and with the medical monitoring equipment onboard, I presume a way to abort via radio command.  So one would presume the capsule also had a parachute of some kind.

So, initiate that command, to release the balloon, and let the capsule fall and remotely open the chute?  Or was there a pressure-activated switch on-board?  (another obvious engineering safety)

The balloon itself would rise high enough to explode--it's what they typically do with ultra-high altitude weather balloons after all.  The fabric would drift a bit, but eventually end up in the ocean, where sunlight slowly breaks it down--or so I'm told.  

________________________

Follow up article:  How close to space was he?

http://io9.com/5952443/infographic-reveals-just-how-far-felix-baumgartner-really-was-from-space

Short answer:  not that much, actually...

The linked article published a lovely graph that puts things in proportion:



So, from this, it was clear he was about 1/3 or so the way to the lowest stable earth-orbit.

Which is still quite an achievement for someone only wearing a space suit.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

What happened to the capsule?

Yaaay to UK reporters for addressing this question:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/shortcuts/2012/oct/15/felix-baumgartner-skydive-key-questions-answered

As soon as it was confirmed that Baumgartner had landed safely, the attention of mission control shifted to the balloon and capsule. The team remotely detached the capsule from the balloon, allowing it to fall back to Earth under its own parachute. It hit the ground 55 miles east of Baumgartner's own landing site. The balloon was deflated via a nylon "destruct line", with the lightweight balloon material – known as the envelope – falling back to Earth to be gathered and removed by truck. The capsule could, in theory, be used again, but the balloon envelope can only be used once.

Well, I was right in that they had both a remote-release switch, and a dedicated parachute for the capsule itself.  But I got the balloon question totally wrong.  I'm gratified they didn't let it drift into the ocean.

Read the link-- it answers quite a few questions about the technology of the jump.

[Sibling DavidH]

Half the size actually but hydrogen has the other disadvantage that it is far more able to escape.

OK, but if it will stay in a doped cotton bag long enough to get an airship across the Atlantic, it'll stay in a bag made of a modern material for two hours.

[Swatopluk]

It's a bit more complicated than that. But I think safety is not the only reason.
I'd have to check though, whether under the flight conditions the fire hazard plays any significant role. Accidents tend to happen close to the ground usually.
Also in a zeppelin there is enclosed space between gas cells and outer atmosphere where the really dangerous mixes can form. Under this aspect a balloon is actually safer.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Half the size actually but hydrogen has the other disadvantage that it is far more able to escape.

OK, but if it will stay in a doped cotton bag long enough to get an airship across the Atlantic, it'll stay in a bag made of a modern material for two hours.

There's the Big Danger myth to overcome too.  /end sarcasm

If anything went wrong-- anything at all-- even the tiniest thing-- the media would blame it on that H2, even if it had nothing to do with anything.

So, they'd be without any sort of insurance.

And?  Many of the health professionals who might otherwise volunteer to be on-hand just for the recognition-rights, would stay away just because of the perceived danger.

Then, again, there's media hype: 

"Oh Noes!  Woe!  They are using dangermous.... hydrogenses!   Oh worra-worra--run-and-shout-scream-and-wail!  Oh Noes!"

Helium is not that much more expensive-- most of the stuff we use in the USA comes from natural gas wells-- "fossil helium" as it were.  And it simply side-steps all the ... artificial hysterical nonsense.

[Swatopluk]

Few people know that many or even most of the deaths of the Hindenburg desaster had little to do with the fire. Many people jumped out of the airship before it touched ground or the flames even came close to them. Those passengers that kept their nerves and waited for the most part survived. And the really nasty parts of the fire where from the fuel oil of the engines not the hydrogen.

[Sibling DavidH]

Now here's another question:  the organisers claimed that this will help prove that  astronauts stranded in orbit can get back down without a capsule.  Hmm ... don't they think it might get a bit warm on re-entry?