Daredevil skydiver Steve Truglia, trains to break the world record high
altitude parachute jump from 120,000 feet on the edge of space.

 MILTON KEYNES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UK (APRIL 25, 2008) REUTERS -

Steve Truglia, a former SAS solider turned stuntman, is training for
a death-defying jump from the upper stratosphere.  He will travel to the
America later this year in an attempt to break the record for a high altitude
parachute jump from more than 20 miles above the surface of the earth.  The
current record holder is U.S. airforce officer Joseph Kittinger, who
successfully jumped from more than 102,000 feet in 1960.  Truglia's journey
will take more than 4 hours in an open gondola which will be carried by a huge
helium-filled balloon.  In order to survive temperatures of minus 100 Celsius,
he will be wearing a custom-made space suit which will be pressurised for the
big jump.  Truglia expects his decent to take around 6-7 minutes.

SCRIPT:
    Risking life and limb is all in a day's work for professional stuntman
and former special forces soldier Steve Truglia.  Now the 45-year old is
preparing for the biggest stunt of all.
    Later this year, Truglia plans to pilot a hot air balloon 120,000 feet
to the edge of space - then jump.
    "We've got to find the right weather conditions on the day.  We've
got to inflate a balloon without it bursting and it's a gossamer thin plastic
balloon.  We've then got to get it launched successfully.  All of my systems
have got to work so that I don't abort and I've got to get a whole in the
jet-stream which would otherwise tear the balloon." says Truglia.
    The current record was set back in 1960 by U.S. airforce officer Joseph
Kittinger. Kittinger survived but it could have ended in disaster after a
small tear appeared in his pressurised suit.
   "One of his gloves depressurised and his hand swelled up
because of this vapour effect of the blood trying to boil, the liquid in the
cells trying to boil, that happened to his hand, had it had been his head and
his brain he would have died instantly."  he added.
    Trevor Dobbin is one of the experts developing the life support system
that will keep Truglia alive.
    "If the suit depressurises and he loses oxygen, and loses
pressure - then unfortunately the risk is there that it could be fatal."
said Dobbin.
    But Truglia may have a rival.  Ex French paratrooper Michel Fournier
has also been training for the jump. 
    "Well there's this French guy and he's 64, he's had a triple
by-pass.  For fifteen years he's said he's going to go and has never done it.
Every year big press release, yes I'm going, yes I'm going and hasn't.  But
he's got all the kit and he's certainly got, seems to have the intent.  He's
been out the launch pad once with all his kit, which is more than anyone has
done." says Truglia.
    If successful Truglia will land himself in the records book with three
new records for the highest, fastest and longest freefall jump.