Colonel Joseph William Kittinger II was a Command Pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF).
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From 1956 to 1960, he was a participant in the Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior high-altitude balloon flight projects, and he was the first man to fully witness the curvature of the Earth. He was also the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon in 1984.
How high did Joe Kittinger jump from?
On August 16, 1960, Joe Kittinger ascended to 102,800 feet (roughly 19 miles) above the Earth in a helium-balloon-tethered gondola and leapt.
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How fast did Joseph Kittinger fall?
He fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds. He was exposed to temperatures as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kittinger approached the speed of sound as he fell, his pressure-suit-encased body traveling at more than 600 mph before opening his parachute at around 14,000 feet. He still holds records for the highest parachute jump and the longest free-fall ever.


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