Daring Aussie Skydiver to Attempt Record-Breaking Supersonic Freefall Monday, Oct 08,2012

by Scott77 30 Replies latest social current

  • Scott77
    Scott77

    http://www.space.com/17752-extreme-skydive-from-120-000-feet-animated.html

    Related stories here.

    • FILE - In this 2010 photo provided by Red Bull Stratos, Felix Baumgartner makes a 25,000-foot high test jump for Red Bull Stratos. On Monday, Oct. 8, 2012 over New Mexico, Baumgartner will attempt to jump higher and faster in a free fall than anyone ever before and become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier. (AP Photo/Red Bull Stratos, Luke Aikins)Enrge Galry
    • FILE - In this 2010 photo provided by Red Bull Stratos, Felix Baumgartner makes a 25,000-foot high test jump for Red Bull Stratos. On Monday, Oct. 8, 2012 over New Mexico, Baumgartner will attempt to jump higher …

    On Monday morning (Oct. 8), Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner will attempt to break the world record for highest-ever skydive, leaping from a balloon nearly 23 miles above Earth’s surface.

    If all goes according to plan, Baumgartner will step into the void 120,000 feet (36,576 meters) above southeastern New Mexico early Monday, then plummet to Earth in a harrowing freefall that will see him become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier.

    After Baumgartner deploys his parachute and floats safely to the desert floor, he and the other architects of his mission — which is known as Red Bull Stratos — can celebrate breaking a skydiving record that has stood for more than 50 years.

    One of those congratulating Baumgartner will likely be Joe Kittinger, who set the current record of 102,800 feet (31,333 m) back in 1960 while a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Kittinger serves as a Red Bull Stratos adviser. [Extreme Skydive From 120,000 Feet (Video)]

    If everything works out on Monday, Baumgartner will also shatter the marks for fastest freefall, longest-duration freefall and highest manned balloon flight. But the daredevil says his leap is about more than just etching his name in the record books.

    "Red Bull Stratos is an opportunity to gather information that could contribute to the development of life-saving measures for astronauts and pilots — and maybe for the space tourists of tomorrow," Baumgartner said in a statement. "Proving that a human can break the speed of sound in the stratosphere and return to Earth would be a step toward creating near-space bailout procedures that currently don’t exist."

    Baumgartner's 55-story-high balloon is slated to launch from Roswell, N.M. at dawn Monday, weather permitting. Winds must not exceed 2 mph (3.2 kph) at liftoff to ensure that the balloon — whose material is 10 times thinner than a plastic sandwich bag — isn't damaged, Red Bull Stratos officials said.

    Baumgartner will ride aboard a custom-built pressurized capsule that weighs about 2,900 pounds (1,315 kilograms). A hard landing during a July 25 practice jump from 97,146 feet (29,610 m) damaged the capsule, and the daredevil's record-breaking attempt was delayed while his team made the necessary repairs.

    During the July 25 jump, Baumgartner reached a top freefall speed of 537 mph (864 kph) — about as fast as a commercial airliner. But while his capsule got knocked around a bit, the skydiver landed safe and sound.

    Baumgartner said he is nervous about Monday's leap from the stratosphere. But the 43-year-old daredevil — who has jumped from some of the world's tallest buildings and soared across the English Channel in freefall using a carbon wing — regards a tinge of fear as a good thing.

    "Having been involved in extreme endeavors for so long, I’ve learned to use my fear to my advantage," Baumgartner said. "Fear has become a friend of mine. It’s what prevents me from stepping too far over the line."

    Red Bull Stratos has described the Oct. 8 attempt as a jump from the edge of space. However, space is generally considered to begin at an altitude of 62 miles (100 km), or 327,000 feet.

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    Jesus Christ!

  • Scott77
    Scott77

    I think this kind of event might inspire fellow Austrians on this site in a positive way. May be they could say, wow, this is one of our own, someone to be proud of.

    Scott77

  • doofdaddy
    doofdaddy

    The article says he is from Austria not Australia

  • Scott77
    Scott77

    doofdaddy,

    Thank for correction. That is my mistake for which I sincerely apologize.

    Scott77

  • doofdaddy
    doofdaddy

    No need for an apology, easy mistake and yes he is an incredibly brave guy and I will follow the story Monday.

  • glenster
  • Broken Promises
  • Glander
    Glander

    He fell for 9+ minutes and landed standing up. Very cool stunt.

  • DaCheech
    DaCheech

    even the scene in star trek made my guts spin

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