A man made the longest free fall: 31km and 15 minutes from almost the edge of space!

His name is Joseph Kittinger and he’s still alive. Kittinger is a former command pilot and military officer in the Air Force, but is best known for his several record shattering skydive attempts, setting the bar for having the highest, fastest, and longest free-fall dive of all time. 

He was also the first man to make a solo journey across the Atlantic in a gas balloon. The project was called Excelsior III. It took place on August 16, 1960 from 102,800 feet or around 31 kilometers. After rising in a balloon so high he neared the edge of space, Kittinger jumped, falling freely for four minutes and 36 seconds reaching 614 miles per hour, setting the record for fastest and longest free fall. 

He was so high up that he claims there was neither sound nor pressure as he began his fall. He says he had almost zero visual reference and thought he was suspended in space! It was not until he entered the troposphere that wind and pressure returned, and the pressurization in his right glove malfunctioned causing his hand to swell to twice its normal size. Watch the video below!