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Felix Baumgartner, in pressurized suit on platform at left, prepares to enter the balloon capsule in Roswell, N.M. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Baumgartner will attempt to break the...
AT THE SMITHSONIAN. Felix Baumgartner’s Spacesuit From His Death-Defying Stratospheric Jump Joins the Smithsonian Collections. The pressurized suit, parachute and the balloon gondola that...
Oct 9, 2012 · News. Skydiver Felix Baumgartner cancels try at supersonic jump. Published: Oct. 09, 2012, 5:50 p.m. By. The Associated Press | MassLive. (AP Photo/Matt York) Felix Baumgartner, in...
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- Overview
- See more daring adventurers in our photo gallery
- Adventure: How did you get into sky diving?
- A lot of people view a mission like this as suicidal. Explain what makes r you want to jump out of a hot air balloon 120,000 feet above earth and try to r reach supersonic speeds in free fall.
- Your survival depend on how well members of your team do their jobs. Is it hard to trust your life to a r lot of people that you don’t know very well?
- From the outside, jumping out of a balloon and pulling a rip-cord seems r pretty simple. Can you describe the training and preparations that go into a r jump like this?
- What is the hardest part of your job?
- Are you nervous?
- So how do you mentally prepare for those kinds of anxieties?
- Does you family worry about the mission?
By Tetsuhiko Endo; Photograph by Luke Aikins/Red Bull Photofiles
Felix Baumgartner loves going to high places and jumping off. Whether it’s airplanes, or cliffs, or the top of the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, the 41-year-old Austrian has thrown himself off of it with a parachute and lived to tell the tale. Pretty simple, right? Not if said “high place” is the stratosphere—where he plans to be when he attempts the highest skydive in history sometime in the next couple of months.
The successful completion of the jump (i.e. Baumgartner makes to the ground alive) is the main goal of the Red Bull Stratos Project. The collaboration, which is part “new space” research mission and part extreme sports market branding initiative, aims to take “Fearless Felix” to 120,000 feet above the Earth’s surface in a specially modified helium balloon and then drop him earthward. If all goes according to plan, Stratos researchers hope to gain valuable information on high-altitude technology. And Baumgartner hopes to become the first skydiver to break the speed of sound.
Even as a little boy, I liked to climb trees and be up high, and I fantasized
about skydiving and flying helicopters. As soon as I turned 16—which is
the legal age for skydiving in Austria—I made my way to
the local club and jumped. From the first second, I knew skydiving was for
me. Then in the mid-1990s, just when I thought I had gone as far as I could
with traditional skydiving, I discovered BASE jumping, which has expanded my
I love a challenge. And I don’t think this mission is suicidal. It’s true
that several people have died attempting to jump from the edge of space, and
I have huge respect for all those who have tried. But our team of experts and
consultants ranks among the very best in the world, and they were carefully
selected to anticipate and manage each detail along the way. Long-term
preparation, the best equipment, and the most innovative technology—not to
Actually, over the months and years it has taken to develop this mission,
I’ve gotten to know most of the team quite well! But you’re right in that I’m
accustomed to doing BASE jumps where I’m fairly self-reliant – I’ve never had
to depend on so much technology. I’m very grateful for the incredible team of
experts who are enabling me to realize my dream. And at the same time, I know
that when I’m standing outside that capsule at 120,000 feet, it will be up to
Everything is complicated by the extreme altitude of 120,000 feet—the
upper reaches of the stratosphere. The hazards we know about include
temperatures far below zero, too little oxygen for survival, a tendency to
spin uncontrollably, and air pressure so low that it is nearly a vacuum.
Unpredictable factors compounding all that include the potential for sudden
changes in air pressure and instability as I approach supersonic speed.
This always surprises people, but the team tells me that on the day of the
Red Bull Stratos mission, the part of my job that will probably require the
most physical effort will be opening the capsule door, standing up, and
stepping out onto the ledge. That’s because in a fully pressurized space
suit, even small motions are exceptionally difficult—not only will I be
wearing over 100 pounds of gear, but the pressure of the suit at 3.5 pounds
Although I always say that the air is where I’m at home—and it’s true—in his extreme situation I think the moment that I take off from the ground
will be more difficult mentally than the jump off the capsule at altitude. Every
minute I’m going up, I’ll be going away from my parents, my girlfriend, the
medical care I’ll need if anything goes wrong…. When I step off the capsule
I’ll be coming back to all the things that matter. That mindset makes the
jump easier.
I think my mental state is guided by the fact that I’m really determined to
succeed in the mission—like I’ve said, this is something I have literally
dreamed about since I was a young boy. Staying focused will be extremely
important. For that reason I constantly review the capsule layout, checklists
and procedures so that making the proper response will be second nature in
any situation.
I’m not married, but I do have a girlfriend, and yes, we’ve discussed the mission for many days and nights; but no one has tried to discourage me. Of course my mother worries—that’s what mothers do–but she’s also excited for me. My friends and family know what drives me, and their support is a sign of their love.
- Mary Anne Potts
Jan 10, 2013 · Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria sits in his capsule during the preparation for the final manned flight of Red Bull Stratos. Pressure suit of pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria lays...
- Ryan Krogh
Oct 15, 2012 · In Pictures: Felix Baumgartner's Giant Leap; But in the end, said Dr. Greg Wells, CTV's sports analyst and human physiologist, Baumgartner's meticulous training and preparation paid off.
Oct 9, 2012 · Download this stock image: Felix Baumgartner, in pressurized suit on platform at left, prepares to enter the balloon capsule in Roswell, N.M. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Baumgartner will attempt to break the speed of sound with his own body by jumping from the space capsule lifted by a 30 million cubic foot helium balloon.