Watch a Man Take a Hot Air Balloon 20 Miles Up… Then Jump
In the summer of 1960, Joe Kittinger took a helium balloon into the Earth's atmosphere. Once he reached the 102,000 feet (around 20 miles), he jumped. He freefell for over four minutes. Video inside.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81gn2oLeC_U&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3%5D
Nothing on the internet has been really interesting today, so instead of posting something lame, I’m posting footage of Joe Kittenger’s 1960 jump from 20 miles up.
“When I finally got to altitude, 97,000 feet, I’m looking up and it’s absolutely black overhead. I had never been that high before. It was just amazing to look up and see the black sky. It’s really a shocking event to behold,” Kittinger said in an interview with Viceland. “[W]hen it came time to go I stood up, I looked out at the earth, 20 miles bellow me, and I could see for 450 miles. I had confidence in my team, my equipment, myself, and I was ready to go because I was heading back down into a friendly environment. So I said a silent prayer; I said ‘Lord, take care of me now.’ Then I hit the camera button and jumped.” 
