Editing Project Excelsior (section)

==Test jumps==
The first test, Excelsior I, was made on November 16, 1959. Kittinger ascended in the gondola and jumped from an altitude of {{Convert|76400|ft|m|0}}.<ref name=Gaffney>{{cite news |author=Timothy R. Gaffney |title=Kittinger's long, lonely leap |work=[[Dayton Daily News]] |page=B1 |date=2002-08-12}}</ref> In this first test, the stabilizer parachute was deployed too soon, catching Kittinger around the neck and causing him to spin at 120 revolutions per minute. This caused Kittinger to lose consciousness, but his life was saved by his main parachute which opened automatically at a height of {{Convert|10000|ft|m|0}}.

Despite this near-disaster on the first test, Kittinger went ahead with another test only three weeks later. The second test, Excelsior II, was made on December 11, 1959. This time, Kittinger jumped from an altitude of {{Convert|74700|ft|m|0}} and descended in free-fall for {{Convert|55000|ft|m|0}} before opening his main parachute.<ref name=Gaffney/>

The third and final test, Excelsior III, was made on August 16, 1960. During the ascent, the pressure seal in Kittinger's right glove failed, and he began to experience severe pain in his right hand from the exposure of his hand to the extreme low pressure. (See [[Space exposure]].)   He decided not to inform the ground crew about this, in case they should decide to abort the test. Despite temporarily losing the use of his right hand, he continued with the ascent, climbing to an altitude of {{Convert|102800|ft|m|0}}.<ref name=Hampton>{{cite news |author=Jeffrey S. Hampton |title='Hero of Aviation' speaks about record-setting free fall |work=[[The Virginian-Pilot]] |page=Y1 |date=2003-12-15}}</ref> The ascent took one hour and 31 minutes and broke the previous crewed balloon altitude record of {{Convert|101516|ft|m|0}}, which was set by [[David G. Simons|Major David Simons]] as part of [[Project Manhigh]] in 1957.<ref name="AmExp">{{cite web |title=Space Men: They were the first to brave the unknown (Transcript) |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/spacemen/ |website=American Experience |publisher=PBS |accessdate=2 January 2019 |date=1 March 2016}}</ref> Kittinger stayed at peak altitude for 12 minutes, waiting for the balloon to drift over the landing target area. He then stepped out of the gondola to begin his descent.

The small stabilizer parachute deployed successfully and Kittinger fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds,<ref name=Hampton/> setting a long-standing world record for the longest free-fall. During the descent, Kittinger experienced temperatures as low as {{convert|-94|°F|°C|0}}. In the free-fall stage, he reached a top speed of {{Convert|614|mph|km/h|0}}. For context, a free-falling average human body moves at a velocity of 240–290 km/h.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-15 |title=Speed Skydiving {{!}} World Air Sports Federation |url=https://www.fai.org/page/isc-speed-skydiving |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003144301/https://www.fai.org/page/isc-speed-skydiving |archive-date=2023-10-03 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Speed Skydiving}}</ref> At an altitude of {{Convert|17500|ft|m|0}}, Kittinger opened his main parachute and landed safely in the New Mexico desert. The whole descent took 13 minutes and 45 seconds and set a world record for the highest parachute jump.<ref name=Friend>{{cite news |author=Tim Friend |title=Out of thin air His free fall from 32 km (20 mi) put NASA on firm footing |work=[[USA Today]] |page=1D |date=1998-08-18}}</ref>

{{quotation|An hour and thirty-one minutes after launch, my pressure altimeter halts at 103,300 feet. At ground control the radar altimeters also have stopped-on readings of 102,800 feet, the figure that we later agree upon as the more reliable. It is 7 o'clock in the morning, and I have reached float altitude&nbsp;... Though my stabilization chute opens at 96,000 feet, I accelerate for 6,000 feet more before hitting a peak of 614 miles an hour, nine-tenths the speed of sound at my altitude.<ref>{{cite news| author=Joseph W. Kittinger |title=The Long, Lonely Leap| work=National Geographic |date=December 1960 |pages=854–873}}</ref>}}

A plaque attached below the open door of the Excelsior III gondola read, "This is the highest step in the world".

Kittinger held the world records for highest  parachute jump and highest speed of a human in atmosphere until October 14, 2012 when [[Felix Baumgartner]] jumped from {{convert|127852|ft}} and reaching a speed of 377.12&nbsp;m/s as part of the [[Red Bull Stratos]] project, with Kittinger serving as a technical advisor to Baumgartner. Kittinger does, however, still hold the records for longest drogue fall and longest freefall.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Joseph Kittinger and the Excelsior gondola.jpg|[[Joseph Kittinger]] next to the Excelsior gondola. The plaque reads "This Is The Highest Step In The World"
File:Project_Excelsior_-_Kittinger%27s_Jump_by_Lookout_Mountain_Air_Force_Station,_1352d_Motion_Picture_Squadron.ogg|Film of the historic jump
File:Joseph Kittinger after jump 1960 US Air Force.jpg|A ground crew assists Joe Kittinger in removing his flight gear after the successful flight of Excelsior III. Despite the appearances, Kittinger was fine.
File:Excelsior NMUSAF Display.jpg|Replica of the Excelsior III gondola at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]]
</gallery>