Felix Baumgartner, 43, stepped out of the 3.3 x 2.4 m (11 x 8 ft) fiberglass and acrylic space capsule that rose to the edge of space, 24 miles (128,100 ft) above earth, carried by an enormous balloon. As he free fell through the stratosphere at up to 833.9 mph, he broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.24, setting the record to be the first skydiver to break the speed of sound.
However, he was unable to break the record for the longest lasting free fall, currently held by Col. Joe Kittinger (4 min. 36 sec.), who in 1960 jumped from 102,800 feet as part of a U.S. Air Force mission. Baumgartner pulled his parachute a bit too early after 4 min. 16 sec.
Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you really are. – Felix Baumgartner
Read the blog.
Watch the Live press conference.
While we wait for the official video, here’s a CGI of what was expected of the jump: