Sonic Skydive's Real Aim Is To Help Astronauts Survive 140
mattnyc99 writes "Earlier this year came reports that Felix Baumgartner (the daredevil who flew across the English Channel) would be attempting to jump from a balloon at least 120,000 feet altitude, break the sound barrier, and live. Now comes a big investigative story from Esquire's issue on achieving the impossible, which details the former NASA team dedicated to making sure Baumgartner's Stratos project will instruct the future safety of manned space flight (including Jonathan Clark, the husband of an astronaut who died in the Columbia disaster). From the article (which also includes pics and video shot by the amateur space photographer we've discussed here before): 'that's also precisely what makes Stratos great. It's more like Mercury than the shuttle: They're taking risks, making things up as they go along. But they're also doing important work, potentially groundbreaking work. They're doing what NASA no longer has the balls to do. Hell, he'd do it for free. He is doing it for free. Stratos only picks up his travel expenses. Clark looks at his friend, shrugs. "This is new space."'"
Re:Project Excelsior (Score:5, Funny)
It's rude to spoil a good argument with facts.
Re:Not quite... (Score:4, Funny)
That's why they jump backwards.
Re:Project Excelsior (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, they just make the other person believe what they already said more anyway.
Ground Breaking work! (Score:1, Funny)
That jumper better hope not....
Re:Mrs. Jonathan Clark? (Score:3, Funny)
That's right. They need people to cook and clean in space to~
Not the greatest choice of words (Score:4, Funny)
"But they're also doing important work, potentially groundbreaking work."
Only if the parachute fails...
Re:Two Separate Problems (Score:3, Funny)
Words fail. Thank you.