Red Bull Stratos was a high-altitude skydiving project involving Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner. On 14 October 2012, Baumgartner flew approximately 39 kilometres (24 mi)[1][2][3] into the stratosphere over New Mexico, United States, in a helium balloon before free falling in a pressure suit and then parachuting to Earth.[4] The total jump, from leaving the capsule to landing on the ground, lasted approximately ten minutes.[1] While the free fall was initially expected to last between five and six minutes,[5] Baumgartner deployed his parachute after 4 minutes and 19 seconds.[1]
Reaching 1,357.64 km/h (843.6 mph)—Mach 1.25—Baumgartner broke the sound barrier on his descent,[6] becoming the first human to do so without any form of engine power.[4][7] Measurements show Baumgartner also broke two other world records. With a final altitude of 38,969 m (127,851 ft; 24 mi),[8] Baumgartner broke the unofficial record for the highest manned balloon flight of 37,640 m (123,491 ft) previously set by Nick Piantanida.[9][10][11][12] He also broke the record for the highest-altitude jump, set in 1960 by USAF Colonel Joseph Kittinger, who was Baumgartner's mentor and capsule communicator at mission control. These claims were verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).[13]
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Fifteen minutes after the egress checks began, the pressure between the capsule and the outside stabilized and the door opened.[36] One of the last items was for Baumgartner to enable his suit cameras.
At 12:08 MDT and at an altitude of 39 kilometres, Baumgartner jumped from the capsule. These images span the first five seconds of the jump.
Baumgartner dove forward off the ledge at 12:08 MDT (18:08 UTC);[6] after 42 seconds of descent Baumgartner reached his maximum velocity—an unverified 1,342 kilometres per hour (834 mph).[7] An uncontrolled spin started within the first minute of the jump which could have been fatal, but it ended at 01:23 when Baumgartner regained stability,[6][37] though in a later press conference he likened the fall in the suit to "swimming without feeling the water" as he could not feel the air to give him a sense of direction.[34] Baumgartner had an abort switch that would have allowed deployment of a drogue parachute, which would have arrested the spin but also would have prevented him from breaking any speed records.[6]
After 03:40 of free fall Baumgartner radioed to Mission Control that his visor was fogging up, echoing his earlier concerns about its heating.[38] After 04:16 minutes of free fall he deployed his parachute, which opened and arrested freefall at 4:20 minutes. At the deployment altitude Baumgartner could have continued to fall safely for another 20 seconds, but it was difficult for him to verify his exact altitude. At 12:17 MDT (18:17 UTC), approximately 9 minutes after jumping from the capsule, Baumgartner landed on his feet in eastern New Mexico.[39] Baumgartner dropped to his knees and punched the air before being met by ground crews.[6][34] A helicopter was dispatched to return Baumgartner to the Roswell base.[7]
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The jump records Baumgartner attained:[13]
Exit altitude of 38.9694 kilometres (24.2145 mi)
Maximum vertical speed (without drogue) of 1,357.6 kilometres per hour (843.6 mph)
Vertical distance of freefall (without drogue) of 36,402.6 metres (119,431 ft)
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While the jump altitude was generally described as the "edge of space" in the media,[51] critics questioned that label, pointing that the more scientifically accepted definition for the "edge of space" is the Kármán line at 100 kilometres (62 mi), or nearly three times the height of the project's jump altitude.[52] The 100 km altitude is also used as a defining line by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, which administers aeronautics records worldwide.[53]
The FAA and NASA set the border to space at 50 mi (80 km) altitude above sea level.
