Record-breaking parachutist remembered

Tributes have been paid to Col Joseph Kittinger

Col Joseph Kittinger whose 1960 parachute jump from almost 20 miles above the Earth stood as a world record for more than 50 years, died on December 9, aged 94.

Joseph, then a USAF fighter pilot, completed three jumps over 10 months as part of Project Excelsior which was aimed at helping design ejection systems for military pilots flying high-altitude missions. The lessons learned through his courageous work informed future technologies and are still relevant today.