Posted on 07/25/2012 2:53:48 PM PDT by Nachum
Daredevil Felix Baumgartner this morning landed from his 18-mile dive back to Earth from the edge of space, in a plummet that reached a speed of more than 500 mph.
Mission Control gave the go ahead this morning for the launch, saying "God Speed Felix" from Roswell, N.M., where the mission is being hosted. Baumgartner, an Austrian national, was lifted in a capsule carried afloat by a huge helium balloon.
Click Here for Pictures: Felix Baumgartner's Dive
The balloon took 90 minutes to get to 90,000 feet. The crane holding the capsule went up as fast as it could to get the capsule under the 210-foot tall balloon as it rose. After he jumped, Baumgartner was in freefall for five minutes. After five minutes, his parachute opened, at which point it took another seven to 10 minutes to descend to Earth. PHOTO: Felix Baumgartner is shown upon landing from his 18-mile dive back to Earth from the edge of space, in a plummet that reached a speed of 600 mph in 20 seconds. ABC Felix Baumgartner is shown upon landing from... View Full Size Skydiver Aims for the Edge of Space Watch Video 80-Year-Old Skydiver's Nightmare Jump Watch Video Skydiver Survives Fall Without Parachute Watch Video
"Fearless Felix" was in free fall for an estimated three minutes and 48 seconds. His top speed was approximately 536 mph, Brian Utley, an official observer on site, told The Associated Press.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
More incredible:
Somebody did it from even higher more than 50 years ago.
(I think this guy intends to eventually attempt to break that record.)
Capt. Joe Kittinger in the 50’s. He’s still alive and helping Felix with his jump.
"...reached a speed of more than 500 mph."
"...in a plummet that reached a speed of 600 mph in 20 seconds."
"His top speed was approximately 536 mph,..."
So, which was it?
The first one is most accurate, so I will go with that.
Actually, Felix, the pressure is almost nonexistent!
"We're excellently prepared, but it's never going to be a fun day. I'm risking my life, after all."
Funny, I don't recall the astronauts bigging themselves up and stating the bleeding obvious.
Colonel Joseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928) (Age 83) is a former command pilot and career military officer in the United States Air Force. He is most famous for his participation in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior, holding the records for having the highest, fastest and longest skydive, from a height greater than 31 kilometers (19 miles). Awarded: Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (6) Bronze Star (3) Purple Heart (2) Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (24) Prisoner of War Medal.
Old school! I don’t think I could fit in my black and gold Brand X suit anymore... and I don’t know where my old “frenchie” helmet went.
I used to jump off our garage roof when I was a kid. Prolly pretty similar.
I jumped at every altitude between 800ft and 2000ft (all night jumps, of course). Anything else is plain crazy!
The equipment really improved over time. The dude’s in the wingsuits base jumping/flying absolutely fascinate me.
Night jumps are the best. I used to get high schools to hire me for football game halftime jumps. I’d hire the plane to take me up to 10 or 12 thousand feet although, of course, that didn’t interest the viewers.
This was his test jump. He intends to go for the record next month or so. Can you imagine—a test jump?
Tell me about it. I have 586 jumps and held a D license. This is flat out awesome. Guy has some major league nads. If his suit fails, he dies. Anxious to see what happens when he breaks the sound barrier. He said today when he left the platform he had zero control. He’s going for world record set in the 60’s. Has my utmost respect. Stopped jumping 12 years ago when I went out from work. My body wont take the stresses anymore. I miss it. Just sold my 7 cell ram air canopy and reserve last year. :(
If you watch footage of Kittinger’s record jump he’s all over the place at first. There’s just not enough atmosphere at that altitude to get control.
I read years ago that Kittenger broke the sound barrier in the higher altitudes. The thinner the atmosphere, the lower the sound barrier. Kittenger deployed a small chute within the first 10 seconds to counteract the lack of control Felix was talking about. If you get in to a flat spin at that elevation you can’t stop it. The spin accelerates and pretty soon your blood is all in your extremities irrespective of the pressure suit...from that altitude anyway. I’d take his place in the next jump in a second given a chance. A guy can dream. :{)
Yeah, the wing suits are very cool. A lot of those guys are dying, though. I think the best glide slope they can get is 2/1.
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