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Balloonists Attempt World Altitude Record

Posted by simoniker on from the up-up-and-away dept.

ACey writes "BBC News is reporting on the latest attempt to break the balloon altitude world record. Qinetiq 1 is scheduled to launch tomorrow, 2nd September 2003, from the coast of Cornwall, UK, and aims to reach 132,000 feet or 25 miles in a flight that could last 12 hours. The balloon is so big (1,250 feet tall) that it should be visible from most of the UK, Ireland and Western France as it climbs. Good luck to them!"

6 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. are they going to jump too? by cdn-programmer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The manhigh project in the late 50's early 60's included a parachute jump from about 100,000 feet. This was about the height that the Challenger exploded and the jump shows that the crew of the Chalenger could have survived had the technology developed in the manhigh project been avilable to them.

    The guy who jumped reached a speed of over 700 miles per hour for part of the fall.

    1. Re:are they going to jump too? by ramk13 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This was about the height that the Challenger exploded and the jump shows that the crew of the Chalenger could have survived had the technology developed in the manhigh project been avilable to them.

      I think you are ignoring maybe a few hundred engineering/technical difficulties involved in exiting a spacecraft. It's not like they had ejection seats. Also, from a flight controller's perspective there was little to no warning, at the time, that a catastrophic event was about to happen.

      Save the 'could have' and 'should have' for a problem where people actually could have done something.

  2. Another metric hack by Phantasmo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually, they could've used kilolight-nanoseconds (light travels about 30 centimetres in a nanosecond, which is close enough to a foot).

    --

    The US Army: promoting democracy through unquestioned obedience
  3. History&Freefall by the_pooh_experience · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Acording to NOVA, the standing record is 113,739.9 ft (~ 35 km) was set in 1961. Back then however these people were pretty hardcore, as it was too technical to pilot the balloons back down, they would jump (with a parachute).

    My grandfather and his brother were some of the balooning pioneers in the US, and I actually had the oppertunity (when I was much younger) to acompany my grandfater taken up in a balloon by Joe Kittinger (first altitude record of ~100,000 ft and the longest freefall to date-where he actually broke the sound-barrier unaided by propultion other than gravity). We didn't go to 100 kft but even back then (I think I may have been about 7) it was quite an experience.

  4. scary part... by rokzy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "Should the suits fail at 35,000 feet (10,668 metres) Andy and Colin would lose consciousness. At 80,000 feet (24,384 metres) the pilots would die within a matter of seconds, as the low pressure would make their blood boil almost immediately."

    ow...

  5. Re:One question comes to my mind: by ray-auch · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Launch date got put back 24hrs after the (BBC) article was posted - check the main bbc news site for a brief article on the delay.

    As well as the balloon record they are flying some remote controlled (from the gondola) drone which I expect is going to be a record height too.

    So we have very high altitude unmanned drone being tested - now that sounds like the military's cup of tea...