Just what does it take to be a stratonaut, soaring to higher and higher
altitudes of Earth's atmosphere? Brave men and women have reached
extreme heights in balloons, aircraft and rocket ships over the past two
centuries, from the first untethered balloon flight to the first flights
in the newly defined stratosphere, through to the present flights that
continue to set new records. This book defines the altitudes related to
the stratosphere, how it changes with latitude and the effects on
ascending aviators. Also described is how over time technology enabled
aircraft and balloons to achieve higher altitudes. The book shows the
clear influence of the military on designs that initially focused on
speed and maneuverability, but only later on reaching new altitudes. The
early flights into the troposphere and eventually the mid to upper
reaches of the stratosphere are chronicled, with great emphasis on
flight operations. This includes decompression, bailouts, inertia
coupling, ejections, catastrophic disintegration, crashes and deaths.
Although the book highlights major altitude attempts and records, it
also focuses on the life-threatening problems confronting the would-be
stratonaut and the causes of many of their deaths. In doing so, it tries
to define just what it takes to be a stratonaut.