[Illustration: Fig. 15. Project STARGAZER pilot and project engineer, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. (_left_), after landing near Lordsburg, N.M. on December 13, 1962 with U.S. Navy civilian astronomer William C. White. Kittinger and White ascended to 86,000 feet to make astronomical observations in the seventh, and final, U.S. Air Force manned high altitude balloon flight. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
Table 2.4 U.S. Air Force Manned High Altitude Balloon Flights ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date Project/Flight Altitude (feet) Pilot ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/2/57 MAN HIGH I 96,200 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
8/19/57 MAN HIGH II 101,500 Lt. Col. David G. Simons (MC)
10/8/58 MAN HIGH III 99,700 1st Lt. Clifton McClure
11/16/59 EXCELSIOR I 76,400 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
12/11/59 EXCELSIOR II 74,700 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger. Jr.
8/16/60 EXCELSIOR III 102,800 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
12/13/62 STARGAZER 86,000 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
With the completion of Project STARGAZER and the success of NASA’s Project MERCURY space flights, future investigations were accomplished by space vehicles. This signaled the end of an era of manned high altitude balloon flight; however, these projects had indeed “bridged the gap,” and manned space flight was now safely possible.
=Background.= In April 1958, Col. John P. Stapp, commander of the U.S. Air Force Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, appointed a new project officer for Project EXCELSIOR, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. EXCELSIOR was part of an ongoing program to examine high altitude aircraft escape procedures and equipment.[168] Kittinger was an experienced fighter test pilot who was the pilot of the first Air Force manned high altitude balloon project, MAN HIGH I, in June 1957.[169] In addition to being the EXCELSIOR project officer, Kittinger was the pilot and project engineer of STARGAZER which also utilized high altitude balloons.
By 1959, Kittinger was an integral part of both EXCELSIOR and STARGAZER and one of only three individuals in the Air Force with high altitude balloon pilot experience. Due to the hazardous nature of these important projects, Stapp was concerned that an injury to Kittinger might result in the cancellation of one or both of them. Therefore, Stapp determined there was a need for backup pilots. Selected as backup pilots were Captains Dan D. Fulgham and William C. Kaufman. Both men were rated aircraft pilots, parachutists, and research and development officers assigned to the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB.