Kittinger: First Man in Space?

Before Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth, one man made an extraordinary trip beyond Earth's atmosphere. Can he claim to be the first man in space? Physics - Universe - Learning Points. Project Excelsior III was the American Air Force’s mission to test high altitude bailouts. As part of this mission Colonel Joe Kittinger became the first man to enter space. Kittinger entered the stratosphere in a helium balloon – reaching a height of more than 30km – on 16th August 1960. With only a pressure suit to protect him, Kittinger jumped from his gondola at 31km and was freefalling for nearly five minutes, reaching speeds of almost 1000km/h. A Twig Context Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract concepts in action in the real world.