Felix Baumgartner Completed Record-setting Near-Space Jump
Some people sit at home, blogging about amazing things. Then others do absolutely incredible things that make those sitting at home more than a little jealous.
Felix Baumgartner jumps out of his capsule during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos
Felix Baumgartner successfully jumped from the edge of space, 21 miles up in the sky. He has become the only man ever to break the speed of sound outside of a vehicle, reaching mach 1.24 on the way down. That's 833 Mph.
The last time that a similar jump was attempted was 1960, when US Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger. He jumped from a height of 19.4 miles, and reached 614 Mph as part of testing for high-altitude plane ejections.
Baumgartner finally managed to break the record, thanks to help From Red Bull. He ascended into he sky in a pressure capsule and pressure suit, under massive helium balloons. Then, live on television, he stepped out of his capsule and fell to earth.
Felix Baumgartner celebrates after successfully completing the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos
The Discovery Channel is getting a name for itself broadcasting these space spectacles. Previously they have covered the launch of SpaceX's Dragon to the International Space Station, the landing of Curiosity on Mars, and many a press event in which new space discoveries were made. It's an interesting twist for a station which once devoted itself almost solely over to nature documentaries.
Red Bull is also getting a name for itself sponsoring daredevil events. The company sponsors plane racing, freediving competitions, and the Flugtag, a yearly competition to build the most outlandish and furthest-flying human-powered flying machine. This jump is just another feather in their cap.
On the online side, 2 million people watched a video of the jump in a mere 24 hours. That just goes to show how popular a good gimmick can be.
The Verge Photo by : RedBull Content Pool
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