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Worldts Highest Parachute Jump March 2017 Hiller Aviation Museum WHere InspIrAtIon Takes FlIgHt HigHest step in tHe World paracHuting From extreme altitudes etween the end of World War II place in November 1959. A series of mis- and the dawn of the Space Age, haps during exit caused Kittinger’s drogue aircraft performance led pilots chute to open early. The chute tangled B around Kittinger’s neck and he entered a to ever higher altitudes and faster spin of over 100 rpms. Kittinger lost con- speeds. The stresses on both pilot sciousness in the 20 g spin, and the tangled and aircraft were extreme, and the drogue was unable to extract the main consequences of a pilot being forced parachute as planned. Kittinger survived to eject from an aircraft were dire. only through the automatic deployment of his emergency parachute. Many modifica- tions were made, leading to an uneventful second test just one month later. Excelsior III was the final jump in the series, and intended to reach the highest altitude. Riding the balloon to an officially recorded altitude of 102,800’, Kittinger stepped out into the void—Air Force crew had placed a plaque at the foot of the bal- loon’s egress port helpfully stating “This is Joe Kittinger, the highest step in the world”. Kittinger fell Project Excelsior for over four and a half minutes, reaching a speed of Mach 0.9 – nearly the speed of sound – in his rapid descent. In 1958 the United States Air Force launched Project Excelsior. The mission The Excelsior III gondola held its billing plan for Project Excelsior was outwardly as the world’s highest step for over half a quite simple: launch a helium-filled bal- century. Earth’s atmospheric pressure at loon to extreme altitude, and have the 100,000’ is about the same as the mean pilot within exit by parachute. Parachutes atmospheric pressure on the surface of had been used since the 1780s, but a jump Mars, and accidental depressurizations from 100,000’ or more is daunting. At proved fatal for two would-be record break- altitudes above 60,000’, air pressure drops ers in the 1960s. This altitude—some 20 to a point at which water boils at human miles above sea level—is well below the body temperature. Depressurization results internationally-recognized line at 62 miles in unconsciousness in seconds, and death considered to be the boundary to space, SprinG MoDel train show in minutes. The pilot for Project Excelsior or even the 50-mile limit at which NASA was Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger. and the United States Air Force issue April 8 – April 15 astronaut wings to pilots and flight crew. Kittinger traveled to altitude in an unpres- B2: Two-Line Lock-up Nonetheless, the low atmospheric pressure surized balloon gondola, wearing a pres- 1/3 sure suit and multiple layers of insulating poses many of the same challenges faced by1/3 clothing. The first jump, from 75,000’, took astronauts working in space. 1/3 Smithsonian Institution 1/3 Affiliations Program 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 It was not until 2012 that Joe Kittinger’s PresiDent’s record was finally broken. Professional skydiver Felix Baumgartner joined the Red Bull Stratos project in 2010 with the goal of PersPeCtiVe breaking the altitude record. Unlike Project Excelsior, Stratos involved an ascent in a pressurized balloon gondola. This added fter a busy holiday the complexity to the balloon system, but meant Alan Eustace, StratEx that the pressure suit need only provide pri- amuseum has mary life support for a span of minutes, not jumped headlong hours. The concept was demonstrated suc- than Kittinger’s mark from Project Excelsior. into 2017 with cessfully in a pair of test jumps in early 2012. Following separation, Eustace returned to exciting new In October 2012 Baumgartner successfully Earth in just 15 minutes, free falling for over weekend events, jumped from an altitude of 127,800’. During 120,000’. workshops, Scout nearly 4 minutes of free fall Baumgartner Despite its apparent daredevil aspects, programs and school experiences, reached a maximum descent speed of Mach many of which are described in 1.25—jumping without a drogue chute to extreme skydiving has had the practical effect of boosting access to the stratosphere this issue of Briefings. This year is stabilize his descent allowed a faster free fall. especially busy with STEM-focused Despite some stability problems early in the for both scientific and commercial purposes. Paragon Space Development has leveraged educational school field trips and we jump, Baumgartner maintained control and are seeing our highest attendance landed safely. its experience with StratEx to support World View, a program focused on providing high ever from area K-12 schools. Felix Baumgartner, Red Bull Stratos altitude balloon flights for both research We’ve also been working steadily missions and private sightseeing flights. behind the scenes to improve gallery With operational flights planned for later in exhibits with the goal of making 2017, World View expects to offer missions the museum experience even more to 100,000’ in gondolas containing two crew intriguing, educational and fun. Our and up to six passengers. During recovery, new display dedicated to “Women the entire gondola will separate from its bal- in Aviation” tells the stories of 29 loon, descending to land beneath an enor- aviatrixes who overcame adversity, mous para wing parachute. accomplished much, and inspired the The Hiller Aviation world in making their dreams of flight Museum welcomes a reality. While the Red Bull Stratos project was Alan Eustace on We are pleased to add a new under development, Alan Eustace became Saturday, March 11th addition to the aircraft on display intrigued with the concept of exploring the as he discusses his in our gallery, a full-size replica of stratosphere by balloon and descending via involvement in the SpaceShipOne, an aircraft which parachute. Eustace partnered with Paragon StratEx project and made world headlines in 2004 as the Space Development in Roswell, New Mexico, his experience setting to develop a system capable of supporting a the world’s high alti- first privately funded vehicle to fly record-breaking launch and descent in a new tude parachute jump into space. We thank Chabot Space Alan Eustace, world project named StratEx. Unlike Excelsior or record. The following & Science Center for the loan of this record holder for high- Stratos, StratEx did away with the balloon Saturday, March 18th, impressive artifact, which will be on est parachute jump. gondola altogether. Like Kittinger, Eustace the Museum hosts its display until 2019. would be protected by his pressure suit for annual Leprechaun Meanwhile, our Board of Direc- the entire mission. Unlike either Kittinger Leap event, featuring tors continues to grow and provide or Baumgartner, Eustace would not need a parachute jump from a helicopter in the diverse skill sets to help steer the to exit a gondola. Suspended directly from airspace above San Carlos. The Museum’s course of the museum and assist the balloon, just beneath the balloon’s avi- Leaping Leprechaun will launch from an with museum improvement efforts. onics bus, Eustace would start his descent altitude of 4,000’ – thirty times lower than Joining the museum’s Board for 2017 by simply firing explosive bolts to separate the height of Alan Eustace’s jump in 2014. is Brenna O’Boyle, a creative and his pressure suit from the balloon assem- Make your plans to join us and learn the full energetic presence on the Peninsula bly. This simplified the mission profile and story of this remarkable achievement. with particular expertise in public removed appreciable risk: in 1962, Soviet test pilot Pyotr Dolgov was killed in a jump Resources relations and marketing. We welcome from over 90,000’ when his helmet faceplate http://www.paragonsdc.com/ her enthusiastically! impacted part of the balloon gondola during stratex/#twentyeight, downloaded 2 Our goal is to make the Hiller exit, causing a lethal depressurization of his February 2017 Aviation Museum a place where pressure suit. Eustace’s flight began at dawn inspiration takes flight and aviation on October 24, 2014, as he was lifted in a http://www.redbullstratos.com/, download- dreams come alive. Thank you for face-down position from a launching plat- ed 1 February 2017 helping make the Hiller Aviation form. It took over two hours for Eustace and http://stratocat.com.ar/artics/excelsior-e. Museum a vibrant and exciting place the StratEx balloon to rise to the mission’s htm, downloaded 1 February 2017 to visit. We look forward to seeing you maximum altitude of over 135,000’, nearly soon at the Museum! two miles higher than Baumgartner’s previ- http://www.worldview.space/voyage/, down- —Jeffery Bass, President & CEO ous record and more than six miles higher loaded 2 February 2017 new members Gail and Alex Abbas, Marc and Joelle Abrams, AeroCentury Stephanie Liva and Paul Gray, Jason and Hylary Locsin, Corporation, Vikram Aggarwal and Neha Pandey, Xin Ai and Christine Loh and Andrew Lee, Ralph and Lisa Lohr, Linh Luc Qing Song, Setu Anand and Lyudmila Varaksina, Robert and Erich Moy, Mike and Dara Luca, Steve and Agatha Luczo, Ankeny and Lisa Tripoli, Aram Antonyan and Mariam Yan Lui and Irvin Tsang, Jahn A. Luke, Angie and Bismarck Simonyan, Apple Inc., Kristina and Jason Armstrong, Ismael Luna, Richard Lyness, Debbie Madden, Vijay Madhavan and Aude and Ismael Osman, Mariano and Jeanette Aurelio, Samhitha Wukkalam, Michelle Madriaga and Madelon Robert and Shaun Baesman, Ronald Baker, Dan Barak and Henson, Scott and Natalie Mainini, Alyaa Majeed and Safaa Keren Messer, Steven and Kari Barcelo, Michael and Alicia Hasan, Siarhei Malchankou, Stephanie and Stace Maples, Barry, Robert C.
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