Computer Scientist Parachutes From 135,908 Feet, Breaking Record

An anonymous reader writes: The NY Times reports that Alan Eustace, a computer scientist and senior VP at Google, has successfully broken the record for highest freefall jump, set by Felix Baumgartner in 2012. "For a little over two hours, the balloon ascended at speeds up to 1,600 feet per minute to an altitude of 135,908 feet, more than 25 miles. Mr. Eustace dangled underneath in a specially designed spacesuit with an elaborate life-support system. He returned to earth just 15 minutes after starting his fall. ... Mr. Eustace cut himself loose from the balloon with the aid of a small explosive device and plummeted toward the earth at a speeds that peaked at more than 800 miles per hour, setting off a small sonic boom heard by observers on the ground. ... His technical team had designed a carbon-fiber attachment that kept him from becoming entangled in the main parachute before it opened. About four-and-a-half minutes into his flight, he opened the main parachute and glided to a landing 70 miles from the launch site."

Comments

Baumgartner took too much credit

[kooky45]

I watched Baumgartner's jump live and a follow up documentary on it and it seemed to me far too much credit for his jump was given to him. He got claustrophibic in the suit so dropped out of the project for an entire year and only came back when he got worried that a test pilot making test jumps in his place might do the actual record jump and deny him his press. I like this new one, seems to have been done for the right reasons.

Re:Being a computer scientist

[St.Creed]

Ah. I see you wanted to share the very definition of "prejudice" with us by providing a clear example. Thank you.