Supersonic Jump

[deerfield]

Earlier today, guy rode a balloon to an altitude of 128,000 feet, just over 24 miles above the earth's surface. He jumped after the two and a half hour ascent to free fall back to earth. It took 48 seconds for him to reach Mach 1, breaking the sound barrier. Top speed reached during his free fall was estimated to be 834 MPH. Very cool.

Link to you tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Oq2Xl7oiws

[Lawdog]

Yeah I was going to make that same jump yesterday but I didn't want to be late for work if you know what I mean....LOL....Pretty impressive though.

[rdlangston13]

So we had this discussion at dinner. What is terminal velocity??


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[lewisb13]

It depends on a lot of factors. Air density being the big one here. 16313

[lewisb13]

That came out crappy. Its....

V=sqrt(2mg/pAC)

M=mass in kg
G = acceleration due to gravity in this case 9.81 m/s^2
Rho(p) = density of the fluid in this case its air (yes air is a fluid)
A= cross sectional area (so for example if you were a square, your value here would be length*width)
C = drag coefficient (this is a constant, changes i.e. if you're wearing sandpaper vs wearing latex)

[lsvboombox]

Cant believe the chute deployed 20 seconds before getting the freefall record. He jumped 30000 feet higher than kittinger and still didnt get the freefall record. Still ballzy but i would be pissed i didnt get the freefall record.

[rdlangston13]

The argument was made that the lack in air density would be cancelled out by the reduced force of gravity being 24 miles up. It was based on 0 science and just people's opinions/thought.


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[lewisb13]

Cant believe the chute deployed 20 seconds before getting the freefall record. He jumped 30000 feet higher than kittinger and still didnt get the freefall record. Still ballzy but i would be pissed i didnt get the freefall record.

I dont think his goal was to get the free fall record, I thought it was to break the speed record. If he would have jumped with limbs outstretched he would have broken the free fall record. Its my understanding he jumped like a pencil, not like a skydiver.

[lsvboombox]

I dont think his goal was to get the free all record, it was to break the speed record. If he would have jumped with limbs outstretched he would have broken the free all record. Its my understanding he jumped like a pencil, not like a skydiver.

He beat kittingers speed record before he hit the height at which kittinger jumped 103k.
At that height it doesnt matter whether your hands are in or out there is nothing slowing you down there's no resistance.

[lewisb13]

So did he deploy the chute "early?"

[lsvboombox]

So did he deploy the chute "early?"

I think it was on auto deploy. Not sure.. But kittinger jumped from 103k and deployed at 18k. Felix jumped from 130 and deployed at 5k. They expected a freefall of 5 minutes. Guess the math was wrong

[BensonWdby]

I think the plan was to deploy at 5000 but I think it was actually quite a bit higher - I am going to say 8000. He was riding the canopy for a very long time.

My question is - How did he find the landing zone from 128000 feet. He had to pass thorugh the jet stream - so you got to believe he was quite a ways east when he stepped out. Presumably GPS would get him in headed in the right direction. But the capsule also came down in the same general vicinity.

[maxpower220]

The first altitude reading announce after the chute was open was 6800'. It leads me to believe that the chute opened around 7800-8000'.

Skydivers pretty much fall like rocks. Winds have very little effect on them. I believe that this time of the year was pick due to no jet stream in NM. They had to delay due to winds for a few days.

[deerfield]

This is funny. Per Andrea Mitchell and MSNBC, this chap traveled "faster than the speed of light." Ya, right.

http://twitchy.com/2012/10/15/scienc-is-hard-andrea-mitchell-reports-that-fearless-felix-traveled-faster-than-speed-of-light/

[BensonWdby]

The first altitude reading announce after the chute was open was 6800'. It leads me to believe that the chute opened around 7800-8000'.

Skydivers pretty much fall like rocks. Winds have very little effect on them. I believe that this time of the year was pick due to no jet stream in NM. They had to delay due to winds for a few days.

I was thinking more about the impact on the way up. At one point they were talking about his speed approaching 100mph - at the same time they were talking about the jet stream - so I put them togehter in my head and figured he was going down range. Since it took him a couple hours to go 23 miles up - that is hardly in the neighborhood of 100mph. Maybe in the days to come they will show his relative starting point over the launch point.

Nonetheless - it was amazing to watch.