Col. Joe Kittinger was the first American in space. Yes, Alan B. Shepherd was the first man to launch into space, but Kittinger sailed above the atmosphere in a balloon. Know how he got back to Earth? He jumped out of that balloon, setting the record for the highest parachute jump in history.

But that’s not all he did. He’s now in his 80s and still on the look-out for his next great adventure.

Find out the moment in his life that inspired his passion for the skies and why he dedicated his life to the science of flight.

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