Man plans to return from space without a spaceship?
Update 2025-07: After his supersonic freefall, Felix Baumgartner declared he had officially retired from the daredevil business. However, he recently died in a paramotoring accident.
I’ve been posting stories about adventurers (argonauts or, in this case, an astronaut) for about 13 years, despite many people saying there is nothing left to explore.
The Austrian daredevil, Felix Baumgartner, jumped out of his balloon at 39 kilometers (24 miles), falling for 4 minutes and 19 seconds, reaching an estimated speed of 1,342 KPH (834 mph), or Mach 1.24, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier without a vehicle. Wow!
Baumgartner said, “There was a time I really thought I was in trouble. I had to decide to fight all the way down, and I finally got stable. That spin became so violent. It was hard to know how to get out of it. I was able to get it under control and break the speed of sound. I could feel myself break the speed of sound. I could feel the air building up, and then I hit it.”
His jump set many new records: highest manned balloon flight, highest altitude jump, and fastest human flight without engine power.
In the world of adventure, there aren’t many new frontiers. But enough words, instead watch this amazing video! And read about the logistics of the spacesuit and capsule on the BBC.
