An Austrian daredevil plummeted into the record books today (Oct. 14),
breaking the mark for highest-ever skydive after leaping from a balloon
more than 24 miles above Earth's surface.
Felix Baumgartner stepped into the void nearly 128,000 feet (39,000
meters) above southeastern New Mexico Sunday at just after 12 p.m. MT (2
p.m. ET, 1800 GMT), then landed safely on the desert floor
3 Comments in Response to World's Highest Skydive! Daredevil Makes Record-Breaking Supersonic Jump
Official record:
Exit 128,097 feet [highest altitude parachute jump, highest altitude human travel by balloon]
Speed Mach 1.24, or 884MPH [fastest freefall] exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane.
4:19 minutes in freefall. Chute deployed at 5,200 feet. Mission Director Joe Kittinger still holds the record for the longest amount of time in freefall without a droge chute, after Baumgartner broke his altitude and speed record.
The capsule landed 55 miles East of where Baumgartner landed.
Official record:
Exit 128,120 feet [highest parachute jump, highest human travel by balloon]
Speed Mach 1.24, or 884MPH [fastest freefall]
4:20 minutes in freefall. Chute deployed at 5,200 feet.
The capsule landed 55 miles East of where Baumgartner landed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/us/felix-baumgartner-skydiving.html
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/35850/felix+baumgartner+sets+new+records+by+successfully+skydiving+from+24+miles+high/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/14/us-usa-space-skydive-idUSBRE89C0JN20121014
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/features/science/20121014_ap_skydiverlandssafelyafter24mileleaptoearth.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/felix-baumgartner-tries-record-breaking-jump-again-live-blog/2012/10/14/b7ddfc18-159d-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_blog.html