Most people don't know this as the reports became public only in the last couple of years, but during the Challenger disaster only two of the seven astronauts died during the explosion. Anyone want to take a guess what the others died from? One suffocated and four died upon impact with Earth. Most people also never took notice that astronauts starting wearing parachutes during shuttle launches. What old video footage and you will see that they all were them after the Challenger disaster, but not before. The shuttles were also fitted with an escape system to allow the crew to get out at mach insanity without being clipped by a delta wing. My point is had this stuff been done earlier there might be five more astronauts alive today and it is theoretically possible to survive parachuting from the shuttle.
The official statement is that "it's likely" that three of the crewmembers remained conscious after the initial explosion. This is based on the fact that three of the emergency personal air packs were activated (manually).
Jake Kohl
-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Skydive from the stratosphere
[Re: Jake]
#253458 10/13/1205:08 PM10/13/1205:08 PM
At that point in its trajectory, while traveling at a Mach number of 1.92 (twice the speed of sound) at an altitude of 46,000 feet, the Challenger was totally enveloped in the explosive burn," said the Rogers Commission report. "The Orbiter, under severe aerodynamic loads, broke into several large sections which emerged from the fireball. Separate sections that can be identified on film include the main engine/tail section with the engines still burning, one wing of the Orbiter, and the forward fuselage trailing a mass of umbilical lines pulled loose from the payload bay.
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea Isak Dinesen If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most. E. B. White
Re: Skydive from the stratosphere
[Re: soccerguy83]
#253467 10/14/1211:37 AM10/14/1211:37 AM
Looks like he got highest, fastest and maybe sound barrier, also highest manned balloon flight. Missed longest freefall by 15 seconds or so, which makes sense , he was trying to go as fast as possible.
"I said, now, I said ,pay attention boy!"
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea Isak Dinesen If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most. E. B. White
Re: Skydive from the stratosphere
[Re: soccerguy83]
#253472 10/14/1201:49 PM10/14/1201:49 PM
There was that moment when Kittinger was trying to communicate with Felix, and Felix was not replying, spinning uncontrolably faster and faster . . . Adrenaline overload.
Philip USA #1006
Re: Skydive from the stratosphere
[Re: soccerguy83]
#253474 10/14/1203:17 PM10/14/1203:17 PM
They drive a truck out into the desert, load the balloon in the truck, and then drive back.
(FAA requires plastic balloons to have two methods of dumping gas - one controlled and one on a timer and requires the operator to call in position reports every 2 hrs as long as the balloon is in the air. The balloon has a GPS tracker.)
Re: Skydive from the stratosphere
[Re: waterbug_wpb]
#253518 10/15/1209:09 PM10/15/1209:09 PM
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.
US Sail Level 2 Instructor US Sail Level 3 Coach
Re: Skydive from the stratosphere
[Re: mbounds]
#253525 10/16/1206:57 AM10/16/1206:57 AM
They drive a truck out into the desert, load the balloon in the truck, and then drive back.
(FAA requires plastic balloons to have two methods of dumping gas - one controlled and one on a timer and requires the operator to call in position reports every 2 hrs as long as the balloon is in the air. The balloon has a GPS tracker.)
That big 'ol balloon would make a mess out of an airplane.
Jake Kohl
Re: Skydive from the stratosphere
[Re: soccerguy83]
#253536 10/16/1210:21 AM10/16/1210:21 AM
![[Linked Image]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/377985/Slingshot/Pictures/Screen%20Shot%202012-10-14%20at%202.07.34%20PM.png)
