National Museum of the USAF  
Join the Air Force

Home > Fact Sheets > Project MANHIGH Gondola

PROJECT MANHIGH GONDOLA
Manhigh II Gondola
View All Media
Next Image
Download

Fact Sheet Tools
 Printable Fact Sheet

Related Links
 Listen to "The Sky is My Office" by Col. (Ret.) Joseph Kittinger Jr. (01:08:34)


The U.S. Air Force established PROJECT MANHIGH in December 1955 to obtain scientific data on the behavior of a balloon in an environment above 99 percent of the earth's atmosphere. It also investigated cosmic rays and their effects on humans. The program consisted of three balloons flights to the edge of space using this gondola. 

The first flight, MANHIGH I flown by Capt. Joseph Kittinger reached 97,000 feet on June 2, 1957; MANHIGH II flown by Maj. David Simons reached 101,516 feet on August 19-20, 1957; and MANHIGH III flown by Lt. Clifton McClure reached 98,850 feet on October 8, 1958. 

During the MANHIGH II flight, Maj. Simons flew the pressurized capsule on display on a 32-hour flight to 101,516 feet, thereby establishing an altitude record for manned balloons. Including the pilot and scientific equipment, the gondola weighed 1,648 pounds. At maximum altitude, the plastic balloon expanded to a diameter of 200 feet with a volume in excess of 3,000,000 cubic feet. PROJECT MANHIGH provided important information about the effects of high-altitude flight on humans in small capsules like those that would be flown in space.

Click here to return to the Missile & Space Gallery.








 Inside the Museum

ima cornerSearch

ima cornerSpace

 


tabTell Us What You Think
tabCategories
tabMuseum Foundation
tabRelated Links
tabConnect

Museum Tour PodcastMuseum Facebook PageMuseum Twitter PageMuseum Flickr Page
Air Force Blue Tube on YouTubeMuseum E-newsletter Sign-upMuseum RSS Feeds



Site Map      Contact Us     Questions     Security and Privacy notice     E-publishing