[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Pushing the edges of the envelope

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Pushing the edges of the envelope
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1211633678.shtml


   [1]Frenchman poised for 'Great Leap,' a 40-kilometer-high adventure

   [2]fournier 

     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.

   So yes, there are old parachutists and bold parachutists, and there
   are old, bold parachutists. Godspeed Michel Fournier!

References

   1. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/23/america/jump.php
   2. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/23/america/jump.php