Russian cosmonaut and pilot to skydive from stratosphere over South Pole

A world record is set to be established by Russians Mikhail Kornienko and Aleksander Lynnik: in November this year, they will become the first in history to skydive from the stratosphere over the South Pole. Details of the upcoming mission are reported by IOL.

As Kornienko stated at a meeting in Cape Town, this project will continue the pioneering mission they carried out in April 2024, when they made a stratospheric jump over the North Pole.

“It seemed interesting to us to do this, as no one had ever jumped from the stratosphere over the North Pole before. [...] The project for the South Pole became a continuation, but this time we were more ambitious and will try to jump from 20,000 metres – this is the maximum allowed by our oxygen equipment,” said the cosmonaut.

The jump over the South Pole will allow advanced Russian equipment to be tested under extreme conditions: oxygen systems, parachutes, heated gloves and masks. The temperature in the stratosphere above the pole can reach -90°C, while air pressure drops to critically low levels.

One of the key tasks is to test survival procedures for the crews of the future Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) in case of an emergency landing in polar regions.

The mission continues the legacy of Russian polar exploration, from the first Arctic flights in 1937 to modern expeditions.

Photo: 1971yes / iStock