Space Men

[NutmegCT]

On American Experience (PBS) this week:

"Space Men" - about the early (1930s-1950s) experiments in getting man
to 100,000 ft ASL.

You can watch the full program here:

https://www.pbs.org/video/2365678797/

Includes the 1934-35 Explorer program, Otto Winzen, David Simons, the
StratoLab, Man High, and Excelsior programs. And the importance of
polyethylene.

Also note Kittinger's near disaster (1959), due to an oxygen valve
having been installed backwards.

Tom M.

View attachment 41702

 

[GregW]

Man High, the other meaning.

 

[Basil]

Kittinger was "mission control" for Felix Baumgartner's record breaking sky dive in 2012. I watched that live and still have the entire thing recorded for posterity. With no air resistance he was dropping FAST in the upper stages of the jump.

 

[Boink]

Great episode (that I missed). I seemed to recall that Baumgartner reached 600mph.

Those G-force experiments were amazing! Didn't know about this Dr. Stapp fellow. And that Explorer/Project ManHigh capsule was something!

Loved to see the actual Kittinger film.
Thanks.

 

[waltesefalcon]

I haven't gotten to watch all of it yet but what I managed to see during lunch, it looks riveting, I'll have to finish tonight.

 

[DrEntropy]

Met Kittinger at a local air show over a dozen years ago. He held the altitude record then. When I inquired with the name, he recalled my mom's first husband, a guy who augered in at Edwards in a P-38 as they were messin' around with laminar flow in '42, at the threshold of the speed of sound. He was quite the character even at an advanced age.