life:
On August 16, 1960, a 32-year-old U.S. Air Force Captain named Joe Kittinger flew in a helium balloon to 102,800 feet (roughly 19 miles) above the Earth β¦ and jumped. His free-fall lasted 4 minutes and 36 seconds. He experienced temperatures approaching minus-100 degrees Fahrenheit. As he fell, Kittinger neared the speed of sound, his pressure-suit-encased body traveling at more than 600 mph before he opened his parachute at 14,000 feet. To this day, he still holds world records for highest parachute jump and longest-ever free-fall. On the 50th anniversary of his jump β an achievement considered among the most technologically significant, and ballsiest, of the 20th century β Joe Kittinger spoke with LIFE.com about the highlights of his storied careerβ¦
