First Astronauts (The)

Which test pilot would freefall from atmospheric heights today?

In the late fifties, a small group of american pilotes and military doctors sketch an strange project: to fasten a basket (with its passenger) to a gigantic balloon filled with helium, and let it float up above the atmosphere to reach space. Two US Air Force pilots were selected for this experiment: David Simmons and Joseph Kittinger Jr. Once they reached the wanted height, one of them was supposed to jump off the basket, and after freefalling for a few kilometers, open his parachute...

Thanks to archival images and first had testimonies, this documentary honours this bunch of hotheads' exploits.

Selected at Pariscience 2008
See the showing : Saturday 11th October 2008 from 16h00 to 17h30