Naked Science: Our Atmosphere (3 of 25)

Naked Science: Our Atmosphere

Kittinger will Be testing the human body's Resistance to high altitude, low Pressure and rapid free fall.
He Will be trailing new technology, Will be trailing new technology, he hopes will protect him.
It had never been done before.
But we were not there to set a Record; we were there to gather Information that we needed for Our space programme and for Our space programme and for our high flying aviators [narrator]: ground crew Prepares his vehicle: A helium balloon and a Rudimentary, open-sided gondola.

just an open gondola it was Designed just to carry me up There, a space platform, an Elevator I called it.
[narrator]: at 5:30, Kittinger's preparations are Over.
He boards the gondola.
my crew chief said, "are you Ready?" I said, "I'm ready, Let's go."
It was a very smooth Take-off and I started ascending Up, up, up.
[narrator]: 30 minutes after Takeoff, kittinger reaches 29,000 feet the middle of the Troposphere.
At this altitude, The air is so thin that each Breath contains only a third of The oxygen found at sea level.
Kittinger breathes from gas Bottles connected to his sealed Helmet.
He's still barely a Third of the way to the jumpPoint.
There are another 14 miles to go.
And the air Pressure is dropping rapidly.
so at about forty thousand Feet suddenly the pressure suit Starts inflating and that's When you start checking it To make certain that it's Working properly.