Space Warfighting Heritage – The Leap from Space Published Aug. 22, 2025 By John M. Lacomia, FAM/Historian SpOC History Office On August 16, 1960, U.S. Air Force Captain Joseph W. Kittinger Jr. did something nobody had ever done before. He jumped from an open gondola of a special balloon that lifted him to a height of 102,800 feet. His record for the highest freefall parachute jump lasted for over 52 years until it was broken by Felix Baumgartner in 2012. Captain Kittinger was part of Project Excelsior, which was an effort to determine the effect extremely high altitudes and even outer space would have on the human body. During the third Excelsior flight, his flight suit had to be sealed with duct tape to prevent the icy temps and lower pressures in the upper atmosphere from harming him. During the flight, the duct tape came loose on his right hand and the glove depressurized. He ignored the pain and pressed on until the balloon reached more than 102,000 feet. Without hesitation, he jumped effortlessly into the unknown. While falling back to earth, Kittinger said to his ground crew over the radio, “There is a hostile sky above me. Man will never conquer space. He may live in it, but he will never conquer it.” Joe Kittinger went on to fly 483 combat missions during three tours in Vietnam. During his third tour, Colonel Kittinger shot down an enemy MiG-21 fighter jet. On May 21, 1972, he was shot down over North Vietnam and spent eleven months as a Prisoner of War in the Hanoi Hilton. Colonel Kittinger retired from the Air Force in 1978 and later entered balloon competitions. In 1984, he became the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon. In 2000, Colonel Kittinger was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers. Colonel Kittinger provided mission support to Felix Baumgartner on his record-breaking 127,850-foot jump in 2012. Two years later, Robert Eustace soared higher and broke Baumgartner’s record with a 135,890-foot jump. Though his record had been broken twice in his lifetime, Colonel Joe Kittinger and Project Excelsior proved humans could survive high altitude jumps. On December 9, 2022, the famed aeronaut, fighter and test pilot passed away at the age of 94. His perseverance and tenacity led to a lifetime of accomplishments unmatched by many but served as an inspiration and challenge to the next generation that anything was possible if they dared to try.