Monday, April 16, 2012

Skydiving from 71 000 ft

Felix Baumgartner of Austria jumped out of the Red Bull Stratos space capsule from an altitude of approximately 71,580 feet over New Mexico on March 15th. The 42-year-old rode the space capsule attached to a giant helium balloon above the so-called "Armstrong Line." which is the altitude that produces an atmospheric pressure so low that water boils at the temperature of the human body. After jumping out of the capsule he spent approximately three minutes and 43 seconds in free fall, reaching speeds of more than 360 miles per hour (580 km/h), before opening his parachute. In total, the jump lasted approximately eight minutes and eight seconds. The goal of the Red Bull Stratos project is to see Baumgartner attempt a record-breaking free fall from 120,000 feet this summer where he'll potentially become the first man to go supersonic in free fall.

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