From: smithm@SPAMBLOCKnetapps.com.au.retro.com   
      
   On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 01:42:20 -0700   
   richie086  wrote:   
      
   > What got me thinking about this was a show about a US Air Force   
   > captain (joke kittenger) back in 1960, riding a balloon up to 100,000   
   > feet and then jumping off of the platform he was sitting on.   
      
   He used a very large balloon, and it could only just lift himself and a small   
   amount of gear. I reasonable launch vehicle would require ~1000 times as much   
   mass, and an equal proportion of additional balloon volume.   
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   Michael Smith   
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