Американцы утверждают, что первый человек в космосе - Joseph Kittinger

[vlad275]

CBS NEWS: "The Real First Man In Space Not Astronaut; Test Pilot Went Up Via Balloon In 1960, Then Jumped Out"
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1496715.shtml

First Man in Space - Skydiving From The Edge Of The World (Extended Version)//// On August 16, 1960, Joseph Kittinger jumped his last Excelsior jump, doing so from an air-thin height of 102,800 feet (31,334 meters). From that nearly 20 miles altitude, his tumble toward terra firma took some 4 minutes and 36 seconds. Exceeding the speed of sound during the fall, Kittinger used a small stabilizing chute before a larger, main parachute opened in the denser atmosphere. He safely touched down in barren New Mexico desert, 13 minutes 45 seconds after he vaulted into the void.