The Roswell Report: Case Closed

Fig. 14. Project officer
and pilot, Capt. JosephW.
Kittinger, Jr., standing beside
the EXCELSIORgondola at
Halloman AFB. N.M. On his
third and final high altitude
parachutejump. from 102.800
feet, he esrablishcd world
recordsfor highest parachute
jump and length of free-fall
which still stand today.
(U.S. Air Force ,dmo)
widely publicized manned high altitude balloon programs. The objective
of Project MAN HIGH was to measure the physiological and psychological
capabilities of a human in a space equivalent environment. Many developments
of this successful project were later incorporated into the first phase of the U.S.
Air Force Man in Space Program nicknamed MAN IS &ACE Soowsr (MISS).
Technology developed for MISS was transferred to NASA in 1959 and became
part of Project MERCURY,the initial series of U.S. space missions.1o’
Project Exce~s~on. In 1959 and 1960 the U.S. Air Force Aero Medical
Laboratory collaborated with the Holloman Balloon Branch for Project
EXCELSIOR,the second Air Force manned high altitude balloon program.
EXCELSIORwas the dramatic climax of the high altitude free-fall studies that began
as Project HIGHDIVE in 19.53using anthropomorphic dummies. As the test director
for Project EXCELSIOR,Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. made three parachute jumps
from balloons, EXCELSIORI, 11,and Ill, from 76,000, 75,000, and a still standing
record altitude of 102,800 feet. EXCELSIOR’Sscientific objective was to develop a
parachute system and techniques required to return a pilot or astronaut to eti
following an emergency high altitude escape.
Project ST~GAZER.Project STARGAZERwas the third Air Force manned high
altitude balloon program. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger. Jr., the veteran high altitude
balloon pilot of MAN HIGHand Exwxx, was both the pilot and project engineer.
On December 13, 1962, Kittinger and U.S. Navy civilian astronomer William C.
White rose to X6.000 feet to make astronomical observations with a gym-stabilized
telescope. A joint U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Smithsonian Institution, and
Massachusetts Institute of Technology program, STAKGAZLRmade only one of
a scheduled four flights due to budget shortfalls and equipment difticulties.