A group of three Russians have set a new world record for parachuting from the Earth’s stratosphere to the North Pole. As part of their mission, they also tested a new prototype communications system that could be used in the Arctic. The parachutists landed near Russia’s Barneo polar base after jumping from an Ilyushin-76 plane at a height of 10,500 meters.
Despite wearing heated masks, all three parachutists suffered some frostbite to their cheeks during the descent. Plunging at over 300 km/h and with temperatures around -50 degrees Celsius feeling like -70 degrees Celsius, the experience was undoubtedly challenging. However, near the Barneo polar base, they were able to power up a server using diesel generators and establish a connection to a satellite. The equipment for communication had been dropped earlier from a lower altitude.
Communications in the Arctic are becoming increasingly important as nations compete for resources, trade routes, and military advantage. The Russians were able to send data via an experimental system that while not as advanced as U.S.-based Iridium Communications Inc., was a step in the right direction. Nikita Tsaplin, managing partner and co-founder of Russian hosting provider RUVDS noted that their goal was to explore the possibility of building a low-cost solution for accessing satellites from computers. This prototype system demonstrated that progress had been made towards achieving that goal.
Overall, this mission served not only as a test for communications systems but also as an impressive feat of human endurance and bravery.
