The groundbreaking skydive by a female from the stratosphere, which would have been the first of its kind, has been postponed until 2026.
Rising United, a non-profit organisation, is spearheading the Hera Rising project, which involves sending one of three highly skilled skydivers, who were selected last year, into the stratosphere using a balloon. The skydiver will then jump back to Earth from this extreme altitude.However, due to the expensive and intricate nature of the project, the jump will be delayed by a year, pushing it from 2025 to 2026.
A spokesperson from Rising United informed Space.com via e-mail, “We are still in the midst of fundraising for the project, and while we have positive momentum we haven’t closed the full amount necessary yet.”
The e-mail further explained, “Given that the jump needs to be done in spring or fall for safety/weather reasons, and the development and training time necessary, it looks like it will most likely be in 2026. We remain positive and encouraged by the reception we are getting from potential investors, and hope to have further announcements we can share with you soon.”
It is not uncommon for new aerospace projects to encounter obstacles related to funding or technical challenges, as they often rely on innovative technology that requires substantial financial investment to develop. Moreover, the development process can be unpredictable, as engineers are constantly learning and testing as they progress.
Even well-established organizations like Nasa have recently faced development issues with new programs, such as delays in the first two crewed Artemis program missions, which aim to return humans to the moon. These missions are now expected to begin in 2025, a year later than initially planned. Long-running space programs can also experience schedule setbacks from time to time.
Rising United had set a goal to secure $750,000 through a Kickstarter campaign in the previous year. The funds were intended to support the mission and spacesuit design, as well as the development of educational materials in both English and Spanish for students in grades 5 through 8, and the creation of marketing collateral, according to information provided by the organisers to Space.com in 2023.
“We’re working with all types of schools … really targeting especially schools that have large, diverse populations,” stated Diana Lockwood-Bordaña, the curriculum designer, who is a Latina educational Ph D and the author of “A Steam Mindset” (2022, independently published), in an interview with Space.com in 2023.
The skydivers selected for the mission are Eliana Rodriquez, who has Colombian ancestry, Diana Valerín Jiménez, with roots in Costa Rica, and Swati Varshney, whose ancestry is from India. Once the skydiver is chosen from among the three, the remaining two will continue to be involved in the mission, focusing on publicity and providing ground support during the actual event.
Rising United, a non-profit organisation, is spearheading the Hera Rising project, which involves sending one of three highly skilled skydivers, who were selected last year, into the stratosphere using a balloon. The skydiver will then jump back to Earth from this extreme altitude.However, due to the expensive and intricate nature of the project, the jump will be delayed by a year, pushing it from 2025 to 2026.
A spokesperson from Rising United informed Space.com via e-mail, “We are still in the midst of fundraising for the project, and while we have positive momentum we haven’t closed the full amount necessary yet.”
The e-mail further explained, “Given that the jump needs to be done in spring or fall for safety/weather reasons, and the development and training time necessary, it looks like it will most likely be in 2026. We remain positive and encouraged by the reception we are getting from potential investors, and hope to have further announcements we can share with you soon.”
It is not uncommon for new aerospace projects to encounter obstacles related to funding or technical challenges, as they often rely on innovative technology that requires substantial financial investment to develop. Moreover, the development process can be unpredictable, as engineers are constantly learning and testing as they progress.
Even well-established organizations like Nasa have recently faced development issues with new programs, such as delays in the first two crewed Artemis program missions, which aim to return humans to the moon. These missions are now expected to begin in 2025, a year later than initially planned. Long-running space programs can also experience schedule setbacks from time to time.
Rising United had set a goal to secure $750,000 through a Kickstarter campaign in the previous year. The funds were intended to support the mission and spacesuit design, as well as the development of educational materials in both English and Spanish for students in grades 5 through 8, and the creation of marketing collateral, according to information provided by the organisers to Space.com in 2023.
“We’re working with all types of schools … really targeting especially schools that have large, diverse populations,” stated Diana Lockwood-Bordaña, the curriculum designer, who is a Latina educational Ph D and the author of “A Steam Mindset” (2022, independently published), in an interview with Space.com in 2023.
The skydivers selected for the mission are Eliana Rodriquez, who has Colombian ancestry, Diana Valerín Jiménez, with roots in Costa Rica, and Swati Varshney, whose ancestry is from India. Once the skydiver is chosen from among the three, the remaining two will continue to be involved in the mission, focusing on publicity and providing ground support during the actual event.