'Fearless Felix' hopes to break sound barrier
Source: Agencies |
March 17, 2012, Saturday
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"Fearless Felix" Baumgartner has jumped 2,500 times from planes and helicopters, as well as some of the highest landmarks and skyscrapers on the planet - the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro, the Millau Viaduct in southern France, the 101-story Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
He's also leapt face-first into a pitch-dark, 189-meter-deep cave in Croatia - his most dangerous feat yet, he says, but soon to be outdone. This summer, Baumgartner hopes to hurtle toward Earth at supersonic speed from a record 37 kilometers up, breaking the sound barrier with only his body.
He made it more than halfway there during a critical dress rehearsal on Thursday, ascending from the New Mexico desert in the United States in a helium balloon and jumping from more than 21km up. He is believed to be only the third person to leap from such a high altitude and free fall to a safe landing - and the first to do so in 50 years. The record is US Air Force test pilot Joe Kittinger's jump from 31.3km in 1960.
Baumgartner tested the same pressurized capsule and full-pressure suit that he will use in a few months for a record-setting free fall from 36.6km. The extra protection is needed because there's virtually no atmosphere at such heights. That's nowhere near space, but high enough to grab NASA's attention.
Engineers working on astronaut escape systems for future spacecraft have their eyes on the Austrian skydiver, former military parachutist, extreme athlete and daredevil known as "Fearless Felix."
"I like to challenge myself," Baumgartner, 42, said recently, "and this is the ultimate skydive. I think there's nothing bigger than that."
Thursday's test run provided the boost Baumgartner was hoping for. "That was the momentum we needed for the whole team. Now we are ready for the 90,000 feet (27.4km) jump," he said, referring to the next trial run.
Baumgartner's 30.5-meter helium balloon and pressurized capsule lifted off from Roswell, New Mexico, on Thursday morning. He jumped at 21.9km - and landed safely eight minutes and eight seconds later. He reached speeds of up to 586.42 kilometer per hour and was in free fall for three minutes and 43 seconds, before pulling his parachute cords.
Commercial jets generally cruise at just over 9.1km.
After one more trial run, he'll attempt 36.7km. The launch window opens in July and extends until the beginning of October.
Kittinger was in free fall for four minutes, 36 seconds, and accelerated to 988 kph, equivalent to Mach 0.9, just shy of the sound barrier. For his grand finale, Baumgartner expects to be in free fall for five minutes, 35 seconds, and achieve Mach 1, or 1,110 kph. The descent should take 15 to 20 minutes.
He's also leapt face-first into a pitch-dark, 189-meter-deep cave in Croatia - his most dangerous feat yet, he says, but soon to be outdone. This summer, Baumgartner hopes to hurtle toward Earth at supersonic speed from a record 37 kilometers up, breaking the sound barrier with only his body.
He made it more than halfway there during a critical dress rehearsal on Thursday, ascending from the New Mexico desert in the United States in a helium balloon and jumping from more than 21km up. He is believed to be only the third person to leap from such a high altitude and free fall to a safe landing - and the first to do so in 50 years. The record is US Air Force test pilot Joe Kittinger's jump from 31.3km in 1960.
Baumgartner tested the same pressurized capsule and full-pressure suit that he will use in a few months for a record-setting free fall from 36.6km. The extra protection is needed because there's virtually no atmosphere at such heights. That's nowhere near space, but high enough to grab NASA's attention.
Engineers working on astronaut escape systems for future spacecraft have their eyes on the Austrian skydiver, former military parachutist, extreme athlete and daredevil known as "Fearless Felix."
"I like to challenge myself," Baumgartner, 42, said recently, "and this is the ultimate skydive. I think there's nothing bigger than that."
Thursday's test run provided the boost Baumgartner was hoping for. "That was the momentum we needed for the whole team. Now we are ready for the 90,000 feet (27.4km) jump," he said, referring to the next trial run.
Baumgartner's 30.5-meter helium balloon and pressurized capsule lifted off from Roswell, New Mexico, on Thursday morning. He jumped at 21.9km - and landed safely eight minutes and eight seconds later. He reached speeds of up to 586.42 kilometer per hour and was in free fall for three minutes and 43 seconds, before pulling his parachute cords.
Commercial jets generally cruise at just over 9.1km.
After one more trial run, he'll attempt 36.7km. The launch window opens in July and extends until the beginning of October.
Kittinger was in free fall for four minutes, 36 seconds, and accelerated to 988 kph, equivalent to Mach 0.9, just shy of the sound barrier. For his grand finale, Baumgartner expects to be in free fall for five minutes, 35 seconds, and achieve Mach 1, or 1,110 kph. The descent should take 15 to 20 minutes.
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