French Sky Diver to Dive From Edge of Space

In news that’s truly out of this world, a French sky diver is preparing to break four world records by skydiving from Earth’s stratosphere. Michel Fournier, 64, is planning on traveling 40 kilometers (131,000 feet) up into the sky in a helium-powered balloon pod this morning before he makes his jump. (For a frame of reference, commercial airliners often cruise at about 10km to stay above weather.)

Fournier’s balloon pod is triple-layered and extremely strong. He’s going to need every ounce of that strength as he’ll be encountering very low air pressures and extreme cold. He’ll also be wearing a pressurized suit capable of withstanding temps of 100 degrees (Celsius) below zero. His journey to the edge of space will take two hours. His free fall to Earth will take only 15 minutes.

Fournier stands to break four world records in total – for fastest free fall, longest free fall, highest jump, and highest altitude reached by a man in a balloon. If he’s successful, his jump could propel the sport of skydiving to new heights. He also hopes to collect data during his ascent that would aid in high-altitude research.

As you can imagine, however, this record attempt is not without dangers. At around 12 kilometers or 40,000 feet there ceases to be enough oxygen to breathe and his blood could begin to clot. Scarier still, at 19 kilometers up, his blood could literally begin to boil because of the pressure. If his skin were to somehow become exposed to the air, he would suffer brain damage and become unconscious immediately.

He has spent two decades and nearly $20 million in his quest to send him to the heavens in a stratospheric balloon. According to his Web site, Fournier sold virtually all his possessions to finance the launch of this project.

“This project is a great scientific and human challenge,” said Fournier. “This is my baby, my dream. I just want to realize my dream.”

Fournier is set to launch at 10:30 am ET this morning. I’ll keep you posted.

Update 8/26: Poor weather conditions caused Fournier to reschedule his flight for tomorrow – Tuesday, May 27th.

Update 8/27: In a heartbreaking twist of fate, Fournier’s flight crew lost control of his balloon just before he was set to launch. I can only imagine his frustration as he watched the balloon float up, up, and away without him. I’m not sure what happened – an oversight, a mistake, or maybe even a blessing in disguise. Crews are attempting to recover it, but I’m not sure if that is going to happen. There’s no word on where Fournier will go from here.