Posted on 02/10/2014 8:10:59 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: What would it be like to fall to Earth from really high up? A new record for the highest jump was accomplished in 2012 by Felix Baumgartner. Surpassing the previous record of 31.3 kilometer plummet, Baumgartner, in a commercial venture, jumped off a floating balloon platform 39.0 kilometers above New Mexico, USA and had his entire fall recorded on video. Baumgartner wore a pressurized suit able to provide breathable air and warmth while up in the balloon and during his fall. Free falling 36.4 km before deploying his parachute, Baumgartner surpassed 1,000 km per hour and the sound barrier during the descent. The above video records his four minutes and 19 seconds of free fall in real time. The stunt included a somewhat unexpected but potentially dangerous spin that occurred during the second minute which could have knocked out or disoriented Baumgartner. After an enthralling plummet, Baumgartner's parachutes deployed and he landed safely.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Video Credit & Copyright: Red Bull Stratos, GoPro; Music: Wilderness is Their Home Now & Satellites (East of the River), ExtremeMusic]
Scary spin! I guess humans were not meant to fly at Mach 1 above 40,000 ft.
Sweet! Thanks for posting.
Back around 1960, the US military jumpers who tried it mostly died in the attempt. A drogue chute was used to prevent the high-Gs spinning that would knock them out and then kill them in midair.
I’m not sure a drogue chute would do much good up where the atmosphere is so thin.
I watched this video last week, or whenever it was, when it was released. The clarity is amazing. To me the jump itself is the most mesmerizing. It’s hard to tell what’s happening during the spin. The telephoto view of the spin which was shown live was much scarier from my POV. I couldn’t see how he was going to come out of it, when suddenly he straightened out. I imagine he had to get to thick enough air so that he could manouver they way he was used to. He had a lot of experience!
Cool!
The guy has some huevos, for sure.
My cousin was married to the guy who detonated Kittinger’s balloon after he jumped so it would fall back onto White Sands and not drift to Canada or Mexico.
Well, hey, somebody had to convince Kittinger to jump out of a perfectly good balloon.
I remember watching that jump live.
Scared the CRAP out of me as he was standing on that platform!
Acrophobic, so those Kittinger jump shots make me a little sick, same goes for any skydiving pics.
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