Some of the key benefits of a successful Red Bull Stratos mission for the science community are as follows:
- To aid development of a new generation of “personal protective ensemble” (space suit with enhanced mobility and visual clarity, parachute rig, life support system) by testing in the actual space-equivalent environment, with the aim of leading toward passenger/crew exit from space.
- To understand the dynamics of breaking the speed of sound in freefall – including the potential need for stabilization equipment -- and to aid development of protocols for exposure to high altitude/high acceleration.
- To evaluate crew survival procedures and equipment appropriate for stratospheric aircraft and suborbital vehicles.
- To evaluate a physiologic monitoring system in a pressurized spacesuit environment.
- To develop a best practices procedure for the initial treatment of exposure to pressure loss at high altitude, including use of a specialized ventilator. Although the team doesn't expect Felix to experience difficulties, lung injury is a hazard of accidental exposure to the low-pressure environment of the stratosphere. Using liquid oxygen, this ventilator system is simple, durable, and requires no external power source. It is often used for very premature infants or burn victims with compromised lungs; incorporation of the ventilator into a field-based environment is one of the innovations of the Red Bull Stratos medical protocols
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Article/Red-Bull-Stratos-One-giant-leap-for-Medical-021243270091079?p=1242810637490
