John Markoff reports in the New York Times:
“For a little over two hours, the balloon ascended at speeds up to 1,600 feet per minute to an altitude of 135,908 feet, more than 25 miles. Mr. Eustace dangled underneath in a specially designed spacesuit with an elaborate life-support system. He returned to earth just 15 minutes after starting his fall.
“‘It was amazing,’ he said. ‘It was beautiful. You could see the darkness of space and you could see the layers of atmosphere …’
“Mr. Eustace cut himself loose from the balloon with the aid of a small explosive device and plummeted toward the earth at a speeds that peaked at more than 800 miles per hour, setting off a small sonic boom heard by observers on the ground.”
(The only thing this has to do with UW CSE is that it’s the reason Markoff missed our Industry Affiliates Meeting. But it’s WAY COOL!)
Read more here.