I get scared 18 steps up a ladder. That’s about as extreme as I get when it comes to heights. For those who aren’t pussies, how about 150 miles above the Earth?
A bunch of extreme sports enthusiasts scientists plan on attempting such a jump in 2009. They’ve designed a special suit capable of protecting their fragile bodies from the immense pressures and temperatures of space and I use that term loosely. 150 miles up is on the outer fringes of the upper atmosphere.
But before they make that jump, and that’s an understatement, they’re gonna try 120,000 feet first to see if it’s possible. Hmm, smart cookies huh? The free fall could reach speeds of more than 2,500 mph. Now that’s fast! Of course this isn’t all for fun games. The scientists hope the suit can be used by astronauts as an escape route back to Earth. It may not be the first space dive but it’s certainly the most stylish. Can I say GO GO POWER RANGERS!
[Via Gearfuse]
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One Miserable Response thus far to “150 miles up, 2500 mph down. Scared yet?”
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Say something incredibly witty, insightful, or l33t
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July 3rd, 2007 at 11:45 pm
It’s probably worth noting that one of the scientists involved in this project has an extremely good reason: his wife was and astronaut and died when the Columbia space shuttle self-destructed over Texas not long ago.