Space Jump essays

Space Jump essays What if it were possible to free fall from 25 miles up. Thats what Michel Fourniers, a French skydiver, is trying to accomplish. Joe Kittinger Jr. set the record for the highest free fall at 102,800 feet in 1960. Fournier is going for the highest at 130,000 feet above earths surface. He will come plummeting back to earth as fast as 885 mph, or roughly Mach 1. At any part in the fall Michel could die. So many parts could fail, that a stunt like this is only done when you have nothing to lose. Michel will be transported to 130,000 feet via a 135-foot wide helium filled balloon. He will then jump out of the 5x7 foot compartment he is in, and start his descent. At 130,000 feet it is a mere 7F, and it just keeps dropping till 50,000 feet, where the temperature levels off at a minus 70F. The suit that will be used is a partial-pressure suit, which will protect Michel from the pressure of hitting the sound barrier and actually passing through it. It will take a total of only 4 minutes from the time Michel jumps, until his parachute opens at about 7,000 feet. This is the first time anyone has attempted a jump from this high of an altitude. If successful, it could be one of the most amazing feats of all time. The only problem with the plan is that so many things could go wrong, and if one does in mid-jump, there is no way to save Michel and he would end up dying. The biggest concern is if he goes into an uncontrolled spin, at the altitude and speed he is traveling at, there would be no way for him to stabilize himself, sending him unconscious and ultimately to death. Personally I would never attempt this stunt, but I suppose if it were in the name of science I might reconsider my thought. ...