Stratospheric jump: 3 Russians parachute from 34,500 feet

The second layer of our atmosphere known as the stratosphere rests between 33,000 feet and 160,000 feet. Spy planes fly in this region though engineers want to build commercial stratospheric planes. Above 50,000 feet, the weather turns out to be more stable. It gets warmer at higher altitudes in the stratosphere, so that layer of atmosphere behaves differently than the troposphere. It gets colder at higher altitudes.

At that boundary, temperatures are about -50˚C. Though, when freefalling at 300 kph, it feels more like -70˚C. The Russian trio had to wear special heated clothing to complete their mission.

They had to prepare for such an experience in heat and pressure chambers. Eventually, they performed a test jump at about 20,000 feet. (Tom Cruise threw himself at 25,000 feet for Mission Impossible, by the way.)

They thought about wearing spacesuits but, instead, wore flexible heated clothing and an oxygen mask. Just before the jump, they inhaled pure oxygen to rid their blood of nitrogen to avoid issues during the freefall.

Because falling at those heights can cause decompression sickness. Nitrogen can bubble up in the tissues due to how the body breaks down nitrogen and oxygen at that height and speed. It changes the chemical breakdown. Nitrogen bubbles can be life-threatening. These Russians, however, just got rid of the nitrogen, no problem, with a common technique. They still got frostbitten though.

A record-breaking skydive to test new satellite equipment

But if you’re gonna throw yourself out of planes from impossible heights, you might as well test something. These expert skydivers experimented with a new communication system. They dropped a cheaper version of iridium (used for satellites) at a lower altitude over Barneo, a private arctic camp that closed due to the technical difficulties of landing on an ice floe.

They successfully established a connection to a satellite using diesel generators, all the same.

Nations might soon compete in the Arctic for resources, trade routes, and military advantage in the years to come. The organizer of this world record-breaking jump stated that they sent data with this new system. It still doesn’t compare, however, to Iridium Communications Inc., he said, a US-based company that currently covers both poles.

To get to the North Pole, however, these Russian skydivers had to freefall from 34,500 feet for 2.5 minutes over a block of ice. Their parachutes opened at around 1,000 meters to cruise the final distance. They landed. They did it. They set a new world record. With frostbitten cheeks. Experiments on the communication system will continue into the next month.

Alan Eustace achieved the highest jump from 135,899 feet in 2014. Though the Russians didn’t set a world record for jumping from the highest height, they nonetheless parachuted from the Earth’s stratosphere to the North Pole. They set a new world record.

The research team will fly out of Barneo on a plane that can land on a small ice floe. The base camp closed because that piece of ice couldn’t accommodate tourism. Planes cannot consistently land on the ice floe, so the mission remains impressive. Good luck getting out!