Le Grand Saut

Le Grand Saut is a project led by Frenchman Michel Fournier, to break the world record of
* the altitude for free fall
* the velocity for free fall
* the longest for free fall
* the altitude for balloon flight
* the first human to break the sound barrier by free fall
by ascending in a small gondola lifted by a helium balloon, and then jumping out at a height of about in the stratosphere. If successful, this will break records previously held by Joseph Kittinger, who set the previous parachute record by jumping from in 1960 (with a small parachute for guidance) under Project Excelsior; and Roger Eugene Andreyev from the Soviet Union, who jumped from in 1962, setting the longest free fall record. During the fall, Fournier will reach supersonic speeds.

The jump was expected to take place late May 2008 over the plains of Saskatchewan, Canada. After several delays due to weather, on May 27, 2008, the 650-foot balloon detached from its capsule as it was being inflated and floated away.

Fournier has attempted to break the record on three occasions. In 1998, the French space agency chose Fournier, a French Army paratrooper to conduct a record jump to test the ability of astronauts to survive reentry without a space craft. This project was quickly canceled. In 2003, Fournier attempted his first privately-financed jump but the balloon ripped while being filled. The New York Times reports that Fournier has spent "nearly $20 million" on his two private attempts.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu