Retired USAF Col. Joe Kittinger, whose 1960 parachute jump from almost 20 miles above the Earth stood as a world record for more than 50 years, died on Dec. 9, 2022, in Florida.
Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Joseph “Joe” Kittinger, whose 1960 parachute jump from nearly 20 miles above Earth held the world record for more than 50 years, died in Florida on Dec. 9, 2022, according to Air Force Times. He was 94.
His death was announced by former U.S. Rep. John Mica and other friends. The cause was lung cancer.
Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger Jr. was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1928. An Air Force Space Command document says his interest in aviation began early, when he dreamed of flying while watching planes at Orlando Municipal Airport. He entered USAF aviation school in 1949 and served 28 years before retiring in 1978. During his career, he held roles ranging from fighter pilot and experimental test pilot to F-4 squadron commander and vice commander of an F-4 fighter wing. On May 1, 1972, during his third combat tour, he was shot down near Hanoi and held as a POW until his release in March 1973. He was also a master parachutist, completed five high-altitude research balloon flights, and had extensive experience with low-altitude helium and hot air balloons.
As noted above, Colonel Kittinger was perhaps best known for his achievements as one of the early “space heroes,” a label that first appeared on the cover of the Aug. 29, 1960 issue of Life magazine. He took part in the groundbreaking stratospheric balloon projects of the late 1950s and early 1960s, Projects Man High and Excelsior. Excelsior tested whether a pilot could survive being ejected from newer high-altitude jet aircraft and helped pave the way for America’s first crewed spaceflight efforts in the years that followed. Working with Colonel (Dr.) John Paul Stapp, a pioneer in space medicine, Kittinger’s high-altitude Man High flights and his three notable Excelsior jumps also produced some of the earliest information on how near-space conditions affect the human body and mind.
On Aug. 16, 1960, during Excelsior III, Air Force Capt. Kittinger leapt from an open balloon gondola at 102,800 feet, the highest altitude ever reached in unpowered flight at the time. He fell 16 miles in 4 minutes and 36 seconds before his main parachute deployed, setting a record for the longest free fall in history. His jumps supported the United States’ early space exploration efforts, particularly by testing whether humans could survive at extreme altitudes. He was also quoted over radio as describing a fearsome view of space: “There is a hostile sky above me. Man may live in space, but he will never conquer it.”
Kittinger’s record remained unbroken until 2012, when Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped from 24 miles above the New Mexico desert and reached a supersonic 844 mph. Kittinger worked as an adviser for the attempt.
In December 1962, during Project Star Gazer, Kittinger flew a balloon into the upper atmosphere with a civilian astronomer, using a powerful telescope to observe deep-space regions that had never before been seen clearly without atmospheric interference.
Kittinger completed five high-altitude balloon flights, the most of any pilot: Man High I at 96,000 feet, Excelsior I at 76,000 feet, Excelsior II at 75,000 feet, Excelsior III at 102,800 feet, and Stargazer at 86,000 feet. He also set several other ballooning records, including the longest flight in a 1,000-cubic-meter helium balloon at 2,001 miles over 72 hours in 1983, the longest flight in a 3,000-cubic-meter helium balloon at 3,543 miles over 86 hours in 1984, and the first solo helium-balloon crossing of the Atlantic, from Maine to Italy in September 1984.
Colonel Kittinger received many notable honors and awards throughout his career. Among his military decorations were two Distinguished Flying Crosses, one for Project Man High and one for Project Excelsior. His civilian honors included the Harmon International Trophy for Aeronautics, the Leo Stevens Parachute Medal, the John Jeffries Award for outstanding contributions to medical research, the Aerospace Primus Award, induction into the USAF Special Operations Hall of Fame, the FAI Montgolfier Diploma, the Order of Daedalians Distinguished Achievement Award, fellowship in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the National Aeronautics Association’s Elder Statesman of Aviation Award, the Barnstormer of the Year Award, and induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997. He also earned numerous awards for solo transatlantic balloon flights.
Colonel Kittinger wrote several articles for different publications about his 1960 jump, including “The Long, Lonely Leap” in 1961.
He retired from the Air Force in 1978 and moved back to the Orlando area, where he became something of a local legend. A park there bears his name.
Kittinger is survived by his wife, Sherri.
Photo by U.S. Air Force / Volkmar Wentzel
