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Besides proving our thoughts on what happens to the human body going through the speed of sound, there's an aspect of safety as well. If successful jumping at
by kloncks 14y ago
Besides proving our thoughts on what happens to the human body going through the speed of sound, there's an aspect of safety as well.
If successful jumping at 120,000 feet, that means that NASA could deploy these same space suits as an exit plan for astronauts in an emergency.
- anonymfus 14y ago>that means that NASA could deploy these same space suits as an exit plan for astronauts in an emergency. What? For exit plan you need a way to slowdown astronaut from orbit first.
- sudhirj 14y agoThat might not be necessary... won't atmosphere provide enough lateral braking too? Either way, that's easier to do and requires far lesser equipment and prep than a re-entry capsule.
- zerohp 14y agoThe lateral braking provided by the atmosphere causes objects to burn up.
- Evbn 14y agoJust cover the suits in ceramic tile.
- intended 14y agoI don't know if you are joking or not (I'm guessing you are), but I'll take a bite at this. Those ceramic tiles have to be placed in the right alignments to dissipate heat. So we are now talking about a rigid 'suit'. So for the rigid structure we'll need reinforcements and ways to move and handle stress and structural load at high velocities - we don't want that transmitted into the human body. (We've tested supersonic velocities, but not re-entry) The parachute will also have to expand in size to handle the extra weight. Going down this line I we soon get to a point where we may as well call the whole thing a pod and be done with it. All of it pretty much hinges on ceramic tiles needing to be oriented and then added structural weight.
- lloyddobbler 14y agoI don't think he was saying 'from orbit.' He was saying in an emergency. Yes, the heat from re-entry is caused by the slowing of the spacecraft's relative speed from the incredibly fast speeds of orbit, as gravity gains hold of it and pulls it even faster. If someone exited a spacecraft in space, with zero drag, and headed towards earth, they would be moving at faster than their terminal velocity and would likely burn up. But if someone had an issue in a sub-orbital flight - or on takeoff for a space mission - bailing out could be a viable option. (Interestingly, this is why Col. Kittinger made the jumps he made with Project Excelsior in 1960 - to test whether an astronaut with no skydiving experience in the upcoming Mercury space program could successfully escape their spacecraft in the event of an emergency during the ascent.)
- Evbn 14y agoFor everything we do to astronauts, why not give them some skydiving experience?
- markmm 14y agoYes if they can slow down the aircraft so it's floating in the air, and if the can do that they wouldn't need to revert to parachuting out. So yes its a publicity stunt and waste of helium (which is in short supply). Im sure he shouted "It gives you wings!" as he jumped.
- markmm 14y agoYes if they can slow down the aircraft so it's floating in the air, and if the can do that they wouldn't need to revert to parachuting out. So yes its a publicity stunt and waste of helium (which is in short supply). Im sure he shouted "It gives you wings!" as he jumped.