Posted on 10/14/2012 11:53:51 AM PDT by drewh
Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner has jumped from a balloon 24 miles above Earth in a death-defying free fall that could make him the world's first supersonic skydiver.
After his parachute deployed he landed safely on the New Mexico desert about 10 minutes later.
He set records for the highest free-fall and the fastest free-fall ever.
Baumgartner climbed into the stratosphere in a pressurized capsule carried by a helium balloon Sunday and then jumped into a near vacuum at about 128,000 feet, or more than 24 miles, high.
Coincidentally, Baumgartner's attempted feat also marked the 65th anniversary of U.S. test pilot Chuck Yeager successful attempt to become the first man to officially break the sound barrier aboard an airplane.
At Baumgartner's insistence, some 30 cameras recorded the event. While it had been pegged as a live broadcast, it was actually under a 20-second delay.
Meteorologist: Supersonic skydive "a go" on Sunday Skydiver's supersonic jump on hold due to winds Felix Baumgartner set for jump from edge of space
Shortly after launch, screens at mission control showed the capsule as it rose above 10,000 feet, high above the New Mexico desert as cheers erupted from organizers. Baumgartner could be seen on video checking instruments inside the capsule.
Baumgartner's team included Joe Kittinger, the man who first attempted to break the sound barrier from 19.5 miles in 1960. With Kittinger inside mission control Sunday, the two men could be heard going over technical details as the launch began.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Looks like Felix could have landed on Pebble Beach and played 18 holes! :)
Mine would be hiding behind my breastbone at that height! ;-)
The Klingons Jacked it.
I’m not a fan of heights, but these kind of things don’t bother me too much because it’s controlled. The guy has a parachute, protective gear, and a capsule. He’s got a team and they’ve been working on this for years. Doing it under just the right conditions. I’m not trying to minimize the risk or the courage it takes. It is an amazing feat and I find it very interesting. I love the Joseph Kittinger video I discovered a few years back.
Joseph W. Kittinger - Skydiving From The Edge Of The World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxfdC7U_mgQ
But this kind of thing is harder for me to watch:
Crazy Russian Stunts at a crazy height Again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFW3-hxWPZE
from this thread:
Snapshots from the dizzying heights of Dubai
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2902908/posts#25
Video from beginning to landing . 2.3 down page:
Thanks for posting the video. Missed it this morning.
I watched the whole thing live and it was damned cool!
He is the craziest SOB on the planet, but he’s got guts!
That’s movin’. When I first read about this plan (in Popular Science, some years ago by now) I thought it was completely nuts. The last US Air Force balloon jumper (the guy with the record, maybe the only survivor.
Boy, I hate watching the Lions, but it’s like a road accident, can’t stop myself. Pass plays from the ONE? Stupid tie game now. Idiotic. Oh, sorry, this paragraph is an irrelevant aside.
Guy is a total badass. Period. World needs a hero.
Would be nice but Obummer all but parked NASA in the hangers. May be he can get a ride on a SpaceX flight.
Yup. I read somewhere that the spacesuit had to big enough for his testicles.
WWWWhhhhooooaaaaa! I get vertigo just looking at the picture.
AP photo, so it’ll be a memory soon. :’)
Gotta take your word for it, without clicking the links! LOL
I have height issues, big time. It’s odd though — even though I don’t “like” flying, I’ve never had that acrophobic/dizzy sense about heights when in an airplane. OTOH, I can’t do observation decks or tall buildings of any sort. Heck, I don’t even like climbing to the top step of a ladder!
I’m the same way as you—not really a fan of flying (especially after 9/11), but I could do it again if I had to. I am more freaked out by overlooks of canyons and observations decks like you said. I’ve gotten better over the years, but still a little freaked out. One of my high school friends did her first skydiving jump in September. I have to admit I envy people that can do such a thing. I love the sky. I love clouds. It must be an amazing feeling. I contacted her about it. She wants a friend or friends to go with her next time. I told her, I don’t know if I could do it when push comes to shove so to speak, but I am interested. She’s talking next Spring or Summer.
Yes, The capsule from the balloon detaches by remote. I’m not sure about the balloon but it does have a release valve at the top to let out the helium so I’m guessing that the when the capsule detaches it pulls the valve full open. It would still take a long time for the balloon to fall based on weight and drag.
For any new to the thread.
Video from beginning to landing . 2/3 down page:
Great view!
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