Red Bull Stratos Capsule Crew Chief
Short to the Point:
First Skydive to break the speed of sound.
Medical data gathered was given open source to the world.
Five Stratospheric Balloon Flights
Three Weeks of Hypobaric chamber testing.
Capsule Crew Chief
+13,000 hours on the project.
Values learned:
It is possible to break the sound barrier in a skydive.
Data collection is challenging.
High quality images can be valued as data.
Media Impact:
Estimated 3 billion people world wide viewed in some form or another of media.
Inspired people of all ages.
Recieved 2012 Sports Emmy Award for best coverage.
Long Version
In 2007 I had heard about Red Bull sponsoring a stratospheric skydive with Felix Baumgartner, to break Col. Joe Kittingers record. When I learned that the project was based in Lancaster California, with a small team who wanted to per sue it for the scientific data instead of a stunt I joined as the second full time engineer on the project.
Through the duration of the project I took on tasks from the rolling door, to the life support systems to keep Felix alive. I was required to define component requirements, build or assist in building components, and test all flight articles. All components went through various design iterations due to environmental requirements and testing. Individual components would be tested in a 7.5 gallon altitude chamber I constructed that could simulate up to 200,000 ft altitude and -100 F simultaneously. When components survived this level of testing they would then be placed on the Capsule for the Brooks Air Base Hypobaric chamber testing. Capsule was designed in a modular method to allow parallel construction and design changes as the project proceeded forward.
My view on this project was to never place a person into a position of risk that I myself would not be willing to except.
Everything on the capsule, and chest pack had to be reviewed by me before being installed or removed. If the components were not of my design, I knew who's it was and worked with them on changes to configuration. Tracked weight and balance of all flight components.
Flight testing takes discipline and commitment, but is the funnest part of the program. Flight days I would start my job by unlocking the capsule at 9 pm (day before launch) and would not leave the capsule out of my sight until after it returned back to the hangar post flight (18 to 42 hours later). This means being involved with the pre-launch procedures, Launch, flight tracking, and recovery of Felix and the capsule.
On October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner leaped from the capsule at 127,852.4 ft altitude. 31 seconds later he passed through the sound barrier achieving a maximum speed of Mach 1.25 (843.6 mph). We had all wondered if a human size object falling through such thin air so far away could even be heard by the human ears. Moments after Felix broke the sound barrier 42 crew members heard the distinctive sound of a double sonic boom and gained one audio recording of it.
Post flight data was used for how D.C.S. (de-compression syndrome) is viewed and handled for pilots.
The final Capsule and flight suit Felix used on October 14, 2012, went on tour for a year for people to see in JSC Houston, Huntsville Al. Los Angeles Science Center, Dayton Oh. Air Force museum, before its final and permanent location at the Smithsonian Institution Udvar Hazy Center in Washington D.C.
Capsule used on man balloon flights 1 and 2 was pieced back together after a hard landing and placed on display at Red Bull Head Quarters Hangar 7 in Salzburg, Austria, along with one of the decommissioned flight suits.
The third flight suit is decommissioned and on display at Red Bull North America. The un-manned capsule which flew twice achieving a maximum altitude of 109,000ft was pieced together with spare parts from the program to be used as a mobile display to inspire kids that science is cool.
Post Stratos videos and documentation can be seen in the youtube links at the top menu bar. My book in .pdf form will be available in the future for download once I complete it. Images can also be seen in the Portfolio tab.
As an engineer, it is nice to see you projects completed, but it is even more satisfying when your projects have inspired other people to do more in their own lives. Working on any project long enough people come and go, but work long enough on a project and you will find friends. Red Bull Stratos was a project that I learned more than just engineering skills. It will always be at the top of my list of favorite projects in my life.
Final Project comment;
Thank you to Col. Joe Kittinger, and crew for working together as a team on this project. I will try to mention all of those I worked with on this project in my book, as the story is to big and colorful for any single website.
