[geeks] ultralight suicide mission

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Brian Dunbar <brian.dunbar at liftport.com>
>Date: 2006/10/31 Tue AM 11:44:24 CST
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [geeks] ultralight suicide mission

<snip>

>We've been contacted by people who are seriously interested in using our
>tether and lifter - you know, once it's been built - to jump from the 
>edge of space - above 40,000 meters.
>
>Not something I'd care to try.  I assume that the difficulty and expense
>involved lowers the death rate down below, say, traveling by car.

<snip>

I might be missing something, but if I were to go up via your "space elevator" there would be a *very* long cable right next to the platform I'd "launch" from (for my descent) - how could I avoid hitting it? With a balloon, as soon as you step off, it shoots up away from you (sort a nice that way)...

Lionel