Image: Redbull.com
Felix Baumgartner isn’t afraid of heights. He has completed record-breaking B.A.S.E. jumps, from the World Financial Centre T101 in Taipei to the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. But now he’s eyeing another height: from the edge of space.
Baumgartner, 41, wants to be the first person to break the speed of sound — without being inside an aircraft. He plans to freefall 120,000 feet from a balloon in the stratosphere. Along the way, he will be collecting data for aviation and aerospace study. As a member of the Red Bull Stratos project, Baumgartner will attempt to break four records concurrently, all of which have held their title for more than 50 years: the highest manned balloon flight, the highest skydive, the first person to break the speed of sound during freefall and the longest freefall.
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Image: Redbull.com
“This mission is all about pioneer work,” he told Redbull.com. “Maybe one day people will look back and say it was Felix Baumgartner and the Red Bull Stratos team that helped to develop the suit that they’re wearing in space. We want to do something for posterity.”
It took five years for scientists and technicians to develop the mission’s equipment and safety protocol. Baumgartner’s mission will take place in Roswell, New Mexico. Follow the mission to the edge of space at Redbullstratos.com. This video on Redbull’s website talks about the mission’s background and challenges.
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Tags: Adventure, Adventure Sports, Extreme Sports, Most Extreme
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