Extreme Reentry

This sounds like fun. Also great from an RPG point of view.

A group of space scientists who aren't actually insane aim to give it a try by 2009, jumping from 120,000 feet in a specially designed space suit that looks like a buggy-rollin' getup, but without those silly roller skates. The daredevils hope to develop the technique not only as a sport, but also as a possible escape route for astronauts in low Earth orbit.

After they've mastered the 120,000-foot jump, their ultimate goal is to engineer survivable jumps from 150 miles or even higher above the earth. In a controlled dive, the jumpers would reach blistering speeds of more than 2500 mph, and as they begin to enter the earth's outer atmosphere, a special drogue shoot opens, stabilizing their descent and preventing uncontrolled tumbling which could be fatal.

As soon as they get closer to the Earth's dense atmosphere, their freefall slows to escape velocity, a mere 120 mph. At 3000 feet, a conventional chute opens, lowering the intrepid adventurer to terra firma.