Monday 8th October 2012, ROSWELL, New Mexico (USA): Together with a team of aerospace experts, Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner is ready to rise to the challenge of the Mission Red Bull Stratos. His aim is to jump from an altitude of 36,576 meters (120,000 feet) and perform a record-breaking freefall. After testing in an elaborate altitude (vacuum) chamber in Texas, the mission has moved on to a decisive phase.
Felix Baumgartner and Colonel Joe Kittinger © Red Bull Media House
The Red Bull Stratos team is making final preparations for their attempt to break Colonel Joe Kittinger’s 52-year-old record, a freefall from 31,333 meters (102,800 feet) during his historic “Excelsior III” project in 1960. Joe Kittinger has been involved as an advisor to the Red Bull Stratos project from the very beginning and serves as a mentor to the 41-year-old Austrian athlete.
Austrian BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner
Red Bull Stratos The Mission to the Edge of Space İnfographic
The mission team have conducted a step-by-step dress rehearsal of the final hours before the Red Bull Stratos launch. A successful result, with the addition of a favourable weather report, has heightened the team’s anticipation for a lift off on Tuesday, October 9. The entire crew assembled to practice the 58 steps that will take the mission from a preparatory weather briefing all the way through to a dawn launch of the 55-story high balloon frpm which Felix will jump.
The balloon, the largest ever used made for manned flight, was constructed out of strips of high-performance polyethylene, a plastic film. These strips that would cover 40 acres if they were laid out flat on the ground. The balloon’s height when it reaches jump altitude will be 334 feet (102 meters), with a diameter of 424 feet (129 meters).
After a 24-hour postponement due to an unfavourable weather forecast, Tuesday October 9th continued to look promising for the launch.
Read about the exciting HTC ONE Fashion Freefall Shoot in Arizona to launch their new phone.
The launch will be live on http://www.redbullstratos.com/ and www.youtube.com/redbull
However, UPDATE: 9th October attempt ABORTED.
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: Sunday 14th October dawn jump at Roswell 9:25 AM PST (16:25 GMT).
MISSION COMPLETED: Successful Launch completed Sunday 14th October, 2012 – the 65th anniversary of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in a rocket-propelled plane.
Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria steps out from the capsule during the second manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos in Roswell, New Mexico, USA on July 25, 2012. Red Bull Stratos is a mission to the edge of space to an altitude of 37.000 meters to break several records including the sound of speed in freefall. (c) Jay Nemeth/Red Bull Content Pool
Congratulations to Felix Baumgartner who, today, 14 October 2012, became the world record holder for the highest altitude free fall jump from Altitude: 128,097 ft (39km)
Read about the successful mission here.
Felix Baumgartner – landed safely!!
A BBC/National Geographic documentary is being made about the project and will be aired on UK’s BBC2 at 8:30pm on 4th November 2012. Colin Barr is the producer of Space Dive and Gary Hunter is the executive producer.
It’s thought nearly 10 million watched the #LiveJump on YouTube also breaking the previous live transmission of an event by 10 times.
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