A 23 Mile Skydive

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-17-2012, 02:42 PM

This guy has to have the biggest pair of balls in the world:

http://news.yahoo.com/skydiver-aims-...2093--spt.html

So far in practice, he's jumped from 13 miles up.

**lovbyts** · 03-18-2012, 01:45 AM

I read about him or someone like him doing that stuff a few years ago. Just nuts. Hope he doesnt burn up on re entry....

**wmaousley** · 03-18-2012, 01:57 AM

Seems to be a Test Rat for the US Governments Space Program

**Bryan2** · 03-18-2012, 02:06 AM

I think that would be amazing, Ive only been once and it was at like 12,500ft I believe, Had around a 1 minute free fall which was badass.

I couldn't imagine a near five minute free fall!

**Times Roman** · 03-18-2012, 08:45 PM

I've known several elite military high altitude skydivers from south Africa. I'm thinking maybe 10 miles up. They deplane 15 miles or so from their LZ, with special gear and O2, and it takes them 30 minutes or so to land. And it's all done at night. Tactically superiour to getting behind enemy lines on foot.
Now, at ten miles up at night, it could be a hundred degrees below zero. and if falling for 30 minutes (mostly with parachute deployed), without state of the art gear, you are dead before you land. Very dangerous, and extremely elite.

My point is, unless skydiving with a space suit, not sure how in the hell he can jump from 23 miles up. Sounds like at a minimum, he should get the "bends"??????

**Knockout_Power** · 03-18-2012, 08:48 PM

you think thats terrifying, muffdiving on this would be worse...

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**Times Roman** · 03-18-2012, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Knockout_Power

you think thats terrifying, muffdiving on this would be worse...

that's your opinion big boy...

....cal would get a woody just thinking about the possibility! =)

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-18-2012, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by Times Roman

I've known several elite military high altitude skydivers from south Africa. I'm thinking maybe 10 miles up. They deplane 15 miles or so from their LZ, with special gear and O2, and it takes them 30 minutes or so to land. And it's all done at night. Tactically superiour to getting behind enemy lines on foot.
Now, at ten miles up at night, it could be a hundred degrees below zero. and if falling for 30 minutes (mostly with parachute deployed), without state of the art gear, you are dead before you land. Very dangerous, and extremely elite.

My point is, unless skydiving with a space suit, not sure how in the hell he can jump from 23 miles up. Sounds like at a minimum, he should get the "bends"??????

He's wearing a pressurized space suit on these jumps. I wonder what the shockwave when he breaks the sound barrier is going to do to him. Or when he hits the denser lower atmosphere if the friction will cause him to burn up on re-entry.

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-18-2012, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Knockout_Power

you think thats terrifying, muffdiving on this would be worse...

That guy drinks a lot.

**DeadlyD** · 03-18-2012, 09:09 PM

That's fvkin sick!!

**loki_is_a_god** · 03-18-2012, 10:45 PM

Insane jump....

**slfmade** · 03-18-2012, 11:10 PM

If he falls through my roof I'm gonna be pissed!!!!

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-18-2012, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by slfmade

If he falls through my roof I'm gonna be pissed!!!!

Redbull will probably give you free energy drinks for life.

**slfmade** · 03-18-2012, 11:12 PM

Will they pay for my roof and give me wings?

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-18-2012, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by slfmade

Will they pay for my roof and give me wings?

Sure, but you're going to have to get rid of this moron's remains on your own.

**slfmade** · 03-18-2012, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong

Sure, but you're going to have to get rid of this moron's remains on your own.

"I'd rather have a beer"

Name that movie!

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-18-2012, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by slfmade

"I'd rather have a beer"

Name that movie!

Billy Madison.

**Bryan2** · 03-19-2012, 03:20 PM

Here you go......

http://thechive.com/2012/03/16/austr...-photos-video/

**Times Roman** · 03-19-2012, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong

He's wearing a pressurized space suit on these jumps. I wonder what the shockwave when he breaks the sound barrier is going to do to him. Or when he hits the denser lower atmosphere if the friction will cause him to burn up on re-entry.

two thoughts:

if he deplanes, it seems probable to me he is already at mach. the real question in my mind is what happens when he breaks through the current shock wave from the plane and falls below mach? sounds like a rough ride!

once he reduces speed and and hits terminal velocity, which depending on altitude, is probably maybe 200 miles an hour, i doubt there would be much friction heat. I'm thinking the real heat comes initially when deplaining at mach and while slowing to terminal velocity. the increased friction should hopefully be offset in part by the extreme cold at hyper altitudes.

Popular science had a similar article on this a few years ago, where the diver would actually de-"rocket" in space and enter the atmosphere, where there would be no terminal velocity until hitting the atmosphere, and then the temperatures could soar!!!

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-20-2012, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by Times Roman

two thoughts:

if he deplanes, it seems probable to me he is already at mach. the real question in my mind is what happens when he breaks through the current shock wave from the plane and falls below mach? sounds like a rough ride!

once he reduces speed and and hits terminal velocity, which depending on altitude, is probably maybe 200 miles an hour, i doubt there would be much friction heat. I'm thinking the real heat comes initially when deplaining at mach and while slowing to terminal velocity. the increased friction should hopefully be offset in part by the extreme cold at hyper altitudes.

Popular science had a similar article on this a few years ago, where the diver would actually de-"rocket" in space and enter the atmosphere, where there would be no terminal velocity until hitting the atmosphere, and then the temperatures could soar!!!

He's been jumping from a helium balloon, so I think he's not jumping from something going that fast. He's supposed to hit 690mph before he hits the atmosphere and slows down. I want to watch the whole jump if he lives from it

**DeadlyD** · 03-20-2012, 05:32 AM

Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong

Billy Madison.

Wow honkey, good job!!! .. Nailed it

**Times Roman** · 03-20-2012, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong

He's been jumping from a helium balloon, so I think he's not jumping from something going that fast. He's supposed to hit 690mph before he hits the atmosphere and slows down. I want to watch the whole jump if he lives from it

OBSERVATION:
You cannot use a helium balloon to escape the atmosphere. therefore, hitting 690mph "before hitting the atmosphere" is not possible. so he is NOT at mach when de-ballooning, and unless shaped like a dart, seems highly unlikely gravity alone would be sufficient to overcome the forces of friction to pull him faster than mach. (atmosphereical frictional forces are extreme at mach, which is why it took a rocket plane with tremendous power to shuttle the first aircraft to mach and beyond) something with a drag coefficient close to zero (shaped like a dart) could do the trick. but his space suit is NOT shaped like a dart. For a normal skydiver, terminal velocity at low altitudes is somewhere around 200mph.

what am i missing?????????

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-20-2012, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Times Roman

OBSERVATION:
You cannot use a helium balloon to escape the atmosphere. therefore, hitting 690mph "before hitting the atmosphere" is not possible. so he is NOT at mach when de-ballooning, and unless shaped like a dart, seems highly unlikely gravity alone would be sufficient to overcome the forces of friction to pull him faster than mach. (atmosphereical frictional forces are extreme at mach, which is why it took a rocket plane with tremendous power to shuttle the first aircraft to mach and beyond) something with a drag coefficient close to zero (shaped like a dart) could do the trick. but his space suit is NOT shaped like a dart. For a normal skydiver, terminal velocity at low altitudes is somewhere around 200mph.

what am i missing?????????

I'm just going by what the article said. He thinks he can hit mach 1 without a rocket by diving. I think if the air is thin enough up there he might have a chance.