Joseph Kittinger is an Orlandoan who is important in the development of space flight. While his work was over-shadowed by the astronauts who proceeded after him, he was actually one of the first persons in space. Even more remarkable is that this was accomplished without the use of a rocket or engine of any kind! In June of 1957 and again in July of 1960, Kittinger took to the air in a balloon gondola. He wore a prototype space flight suit that engineers hoped would keep him alive during his trip.



In 1957 he achieved an altitude of 95,000 feet - a distance of over 16 miles high. In 1960, his balloon took him to an altitude of 102,880 feet (nearly 18 miles). On both occasions, having reached the target altitude, he simply jumped out of the gondola and fell back to earth. He later recalled that, "I was falling on my back. It was very quiet, very still. I had very little velocity. It seemed the balloon was drifting up away from me into a dark blue sky. But of course it was I who was falling away from the balloon."

Not only was Kittinger one of the first persons in space (the atmosphere at that altitude is almost nonexistent and is considered "space"), but he also holds the following records:

Highest sky dive
Longest duration of free-fall (over 4 minutes)
Longest parachute time
Fastest unassisted speed achieved by a person (he was
traveling over 700 mph & broke the sound barrier)

The attached placemark shows Joe Kittinger Park, one of the best viewing areas for shuttle launches in the Orlando area.

Placemark set to 102,800 feet above Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.

Joseph Kittinger one Remarkable Man


He is also took part in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior and also, as being the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon.




Manhigh 2 gondola




Excelsior III gondola at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force


Captain Kittinger was then assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. For Project Excelsior (meaning "ever upward", a name given to the project by Colonel Stapp), as part of research into high altitude bailout, he made a series of three parachute jumps wearing a pressurized suit, from a helium balloon with an open gondola.

The first, from 76,400 feet (23,287 m) in November, 1959 was a near tragedy when an equipment malfunction caused him to lose consciousness, but the automatic parachute saved him (he went into a flat spin at a rotational velocity of 120 rpm; the G factor at his extremities was calculated to be over 22 times that of gravity, setting another record). Three weeks later he jumped again from 74,700 feet (22,769 m). For that return jump Kittinger was awarded the Leo Stevens parachute medal.

On August 16, 1960 he made the final jump from the Excelsior III at 102,800 feet (31,330 m). Towing a small drogue chute for stabilization, he fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds reaching a maximum speed of 614 mph before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). Pressurization for his right glove malfunctioned during the ascent, causing his hand to swell. He set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest drogue-fall and fastest speed by a man through the atmosphere.

Captain Kittinger was a true hero. Along the lines of John Stapp.

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