Stratonauts : Pioneers Venturing into the Stratosphere Just what does it take to be a stratonaut soaring to higher and higher altitudes of Earths atmosphere Brave men and women have reached extreme heights in balloons aircraft and rocket ships over the past two centuries from the first untethered balloon flight to the first flights in the newly defined stratosphere through to the present flights that continue to set new records. This book defines the altitudes related to the stratosphere how it changes with latitude and the effects on ascending aviators. Also described is how over time technology enabled aircraft and balloons to achieve higher altitudes. The book shows the clear influence of the military on designs that initially focused on speed and maneuverability but only later on reaching new altitudes. The early flights into the troposphere and eventually the mid to upper reaches of the stratosphere are chronicled with great emphasis on flight operations. This includes decompression bailouts inertia coupling ejections catastrophic disintegration crashes and deaths. Although the book highlights major altitude attempts and records it also focuses on the life threatening problems confronting the would be stratonaut and the causes of many of their deaths. In doing so it tries to define just what it takes to be a stratonaut. Dutch Von Ehrenfried has worked in both the spaceflight and aviation fields for about 25 years including as a stratonaut himself. He was a NASA Flight Controller in Mission Control for Mercury Gemini and Apollo Missions and also worked on some of the experiments that went into Skylab from an Earth Resources experiment standpoint. He worked in the NASA Headquarters Space Station Program Office for about 10 years and the FAA Aviation Safety Office for a year. In addition to being a pilot his high altitude flying experience came about because he was also an Apollo Pressure Suit Test Subject and had a lot of experience in both Air Force and NASA space suits. This experience required him to perform a lot of physiological tests in centrifuges vacuum chambers zero g aircraft etc. In addition Von Ehrenfried has a lot of experience working with scientists on Apollo which gave him the knowledge needed to translate scientific requirements into flight operations. Consequently he became the first Mission Manager and sensor operator on the high altitude RB 57F Earth Resources Aircraft and worked with scientists to determine how the aircraft sensor platform would be able to acquire their data planning the missions and operating the sensors in flight mostly in 60 000 70 000 foot altitudes. Stratonauts chronicles humankind’s quest for ever higher altitudes from ancient times to the present. It is based upon history science and technology and tells some interesting and fascinating stories along the way. It pays tribute to those killed while attempting to reach the stratosphere over the past several centuries. Dutch von Ehrenfried uses his personal experience as a NASA sensor operator on the RB 57F flying to an altitude of 70 000 feet as well as the input and experience from other RB 57F U 2 A 12 SR 71 and F 104 pilots. Although many of the aircraft and balloons are described more emphasis is placed on the crews and what they went through. This book is intended for aviators of all kinds and flying enthusiasts in general.