Mission Highlights Video: Austrian Skydiver Felix Baumgartner Breaks Speed of Sound in Record Jump
Posted on October 14, 2012
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner, 43, is the first skydiver to break the speed of sound. He jumped from over 24 miles (127,000 feet) above the Earth in a full-pressure suit from a pressurized capsule. He reached a maximum speed of 833.9 miles per hour or Mach 1.24. Information about Baumgartner's suit can be found here.
The mission, called Red Bull Stratos, was sponsored by Red Bull and is now a huge success for them as well as for Baumgartner. Baumgartner's jump was higher than the previous record of 19.5 miles (corrected) set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger. Because Baumgartner was falling so much faster he still reached Earth 16 seconds faster than Kittinger despite jumping from a much higher point.
Art Thompson, the mission control technical director for the jump, says the program could benefit future private space programs and high altitude pilots.
Here is a mission highlights video from Red Bull and a post-flight press conference with Baumgartner. Take a look:
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