Red Bull Stratos

[derf]

Originally Posted by Cutty72

At what altitude do you start getting above the atmosphere where there will be a heat issue?

Its not the fact that you are hitting atmosphere, but when something enters earths atmosphere from orbit it is usually travelling at a fairly high rate of speed. Its the high rate of speed vs atmosphere that causes stuff to burn up. In this case he started falling from 0mph and accelerated from there until he hit terminal velocity (maximum speed at which his shape was able to cut through the air), at that point the air would eventually slow him down keeping him at his max velocity.

When something enters from space it is above its max velocity and air slows it down tremendously with heat caused by friction with air molecules being a byproduct.

I asked the same question yesterday and the internet gave me the answer

[Smittie61984]

I see what he was asking. The space shuttle comes out of space at 17,000mph and they start burning up in the mesosphere. (same place meteorites burn up). I believe the burn stops at the stratosphere becuase they have slowed down to mach5 or so.

What I think is cool is that according to the general theory of relativity, a man in space would (where Felix and Kittinger to a degree was) would not feel the rush of free fall until the troposphere with the thicker air.

[Cutty72]

Originally Posted by derf

Its not the fact that you are hitting atmosphere, but when something enters earths atmosphere from orbit it is usually travelling at a fairly high rate of speed. Its the high rate of speed vs atmosphere that causes stuff to burn up. In this case he started falling from 0mph and accelerated from there until he hit terminal velocity (maximum speed at which his shape was able to cut through the air), at that point the air would eventually slow him down keeping him at his max velocity.

When something enters from space it is above its max velocity and air slows it down tremendously with heat caused by friction with air molecules being a byproduct.

I asked the same question yesterday and the internet gave me the answer

The interwebz is awezome.

[Archren]

Preliminary data: 373 m/s or 1342 kph or 833.9 mph... in other words, mach 1.24. Has to be peer reviewed, but looks like he broke the sound barrier.

[Homeslice]

I read an article about him a year ago, where they said he'd be in big trouble unless he kept himself heads-down (kind of like they did on Star Trek) for the first half of it. I was surprised he didn't do that.

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

I read an article about him a year ago, where they said he'd be in big trouble unless he kept himself heads-down (kind of like they did on Star Trek) for the first half of it. I was surprised he didn't do that.

Yeah, because if he started to tumble badly he'd have no way to correct it because of the lack of air.

[Smittie61984]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

I read an article about him a year ago, where they said he'd be in big trouble unless he kept himself heads-down (kind of like they did on Star Trek) for the first half of it. I was surprised he didn't do that.

Have they never seen Youtube and the Kittinger jump? Kittinger jumps forward but rotates on the way down to look at the Balloon.

[Homeslice]

He was tumbling pretty bad after the first minute though.

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

He was tumbling pretty bad after the first minute though.

Yeah he was. I'd have lost breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the last month at that point ;

[Archren]

Originally Posted by Particle Man

Yeah he was. I'd have lost breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the last month at that point ;

I'd have lost it as soon as I stuck my head out the door. I would have grabbed onto the chair and said, nuh uh.. I don't care how rough a landing it is, I'm going to ride down in this thing. I know rationally it's probably better to jump at that point, but fear of heights is never rational.