Russian cosmonaut and pilot to skydive from stratosphere over South Pole
A Russian cosmonaut and a pilot will attempt a world-record skydive from the stratosphere over the South Pole in November, a mission designed to test advanced equipment in extreme conditions, the IOL news service reported.
Mikhail Kornienko and Aleksander Lynnik will aim to become the first people in history to complete such a jump.
Speaking at a meeting in Cape Town, Kornienko said the project would continue a pioneering mission from April 2024, when the pair made a stratospheric jump over the North Pole.
“It seemed interesting to us to do this, as no one had ever jumped from the stratosphere over the North Pole before. […] The project for the South Pole became a continuation, but this time we were more ambitious and will try to jump from 20,000 metres – this is the maximum allowed by our oxygen equipment,” the cosmonaut said.
The jump will test advanced Russian equipment, including oxygen systems, parachutes, and heated gloves and masks, in extreme conditions where the temperature in the stratosphere can reach -90°C and air pressure drops to critically low levels.
One of the skydive mission’s key tasks is to test survival procedures for the crews of the future Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) in the event of an emergency landing in polar regions.
The skydive mission continues the legacy of Russian polar exploration, from the first Arctic flights in 1937 to modern expeditions.
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