He has spent two decades, and nearly $20 million, in a quest to fly up 40 kilometers to the upper reaches of the atmosphere using a helium balloon, just so he can jump back to Earth again. Now Michel Fournier says he’s ready at last to make his “Great Leap.”
Depending on weather conditions, Fournier, a 64-year-old retired French Army officer, will attempt what he has dubbed Le Grand Saut (The Great Leap) on Sunday over the plains of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. He will climb into the gondola of a helium balloon that when inflated resembles a giant jellyfish. A two-hour journey will take him to 130,000 feet – higher than any balloonist has been before.
At that altitude he will see the blackness of space on the horizon and the curvature of Earth below, and experience weightlessness. Then he plans to step out of his capsule wearing only a pressurized suit and a parachute, and plunge to Earth in a mere 15 minutes.
If successful, Fournier will fall longer, farther and faster than anyone has in history. Along the way he will accomplish other firsts, breaking the sound barrier and records that have stood for nearly 50 years.“It’s not a question of the world records,” Fournier wrote by e-mail message through an interpreter from his base in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. “What is important are what the results from the jump will bring to the safety of the conquest of space. However, the main question that is being asked today by all scientists is, ‘Can a man survive when crossing the sound barrier?”‘
Can a man survive after screaming for 15 minutes? And, then – maybe – after making a crater in the plains of Saskatchewan?
Weightlessness! What happens if he miscalculates and just keeps going up…or around the earth and gets pushed out into space? Heck, even if he gets pulled by earth down, he is just going to tumble and rip apart, like a crazy French top! We will have to gather his pieces up all over North America. I am placing a bet, he will be dead before he smacks into Canada.
Yea, is it physically possible for a balloon to ascend to weightlessness? Near weightless I could buy. I would make sure my first step off the balloon WAS in a downward direction, and hope the momentum kept going in that direction?
Current world record is discussed here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excelsior
I love the picture of Joseph Kittinger exiting his balloon at 102,800 feet (31,330 m).
http://tinyurl.com/3fkre9
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kittinger
Oh he’ll even beat Joseph Kittenger’s 48 year old record.
Bobbo, right. Even on the space station there is some gravity. What else keeps the moon in place?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=81gn2oLeC_U
#1
He’ll not be far enough from the Earth to go anywhere other than towards the Earth. However, a small jump to left or right could mean thousands of miles difference in where he lands.
Even at an altitude of 130,000 ft he will have (almost) the same weight as on the surface of mother earth as long as he stays in his ballon. Any talk about “weightlessness” is BS. For that he would have to circle the earth at about 8 km/h.
He will however experience weightlessness as soon as he starts to fall back towards earth.
There is a minor typo in my last comment (that could have rather serious consequences, though).
The speed he would have to circle the earth with his balloon in order to experience weightlessness is 8 km/SECOND, and not 8 km/hour.
#7,
However, a small jump to left or right could mean thousands of miles difference in where he lands.
Not quite. Most of his horizontal distance would require gliding during free fall. Without gliding he would only travel maybe a couple of miles at best, but more likely less than that.
#8 & 9,
Well put. I was about to make the same comment. He will not be weightless during free fall however. It will be his weight that will attract the earth to him. During the acceleration after leaving the balloon, he will feel weightless, but continue to weight as much.
what is the french word for banzia!!!! ????
#11 – admfubar – what is the french word for banzia!!!! ????
Je me rends!!!
Northern Saskatchewan is an interesting choice. Pretty flat in all directions, but I hope he doesn’t drown in a lake, or get caught up in a tree. I guess he wants to avoid the really bad possibility, which would be to land inaccessibly on top of a tall mountain (with ice and snow and pointy rocks).
Wow! The sound barrier. I assume that will happen when he’s still pretty high up. The terminal velocity against the friction of the air would be much lower at any “normal” altitude. Then he reaches the same speed a second time.
Obey gravity – it’s the law!
On the other hand he could land with a red collar around his neck and they will then discover it is his asshole.
Viva la France!!