Red Bull Stratos

[kwando]

http://www.redbullstratos.com

Pretty fucking cool that a human can free fall from 13 miles up, travel over 500mph, and land back safely on earth.

[SideShow Bob]

The Military/NASA did this in the 50's & 60's.......

[spittoon]

that is cool

[Ronin13]

The Military/NASA did this in the 50's & 60's.......

Yeah but that's effing NASA... this is a guy at the edge of space doing this... Pretty cool if he lives through it. They're saying he will be subjected to a constant 3.5Gs for 6 seconds (BFD- pilots push upwards of 9 at times, granted its for only moments, but the space shuttle astronauts hit more than that for longer leaving into orbit), and the big problem could be rotation at an extreme rate that could cause eye and brain damage... Should be an interesting watch- only 16 more hours to go.

[275RLTW]

Joe Kittinger did this in 1960. Nothing new.

[SideShow Bob]

Joe Kittinger did this in 1960. Nothing new.

Beat me to posting that link......

Here's a short video of his jump. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...lEKwrZcjI0sbzg

[BUC303]

Did anyone read the mission? They talk about all of the previous records and the fact that he's going higher then Joe did, the 13 miles comment was probably supposed to be 23 miles since that's what he's attempting. He's trying for 120,000 ft to Joe's 102,800 ft.

Red Bull Stratos, a mission to the edge of space, will attempt to transcend human limits that have existed for 50 years. Supported by a team of experts Felix Baumgartner plans to ascend to 120,000 feet in a stratospheric balloon and make a freefall jump rushing toward earth at supersonic speeds before parachuting to the ground. His attempt to dare atmospheric limits holds the potential to provide valuable medical and scientific research data for future pioneers.
The Red Bull Stratos team brings together the world's leading minds in aerospace medicine, engineering, pressure suit development, capsule creation and balloon fabrication. It includes retired United States Air Force Colonel Joseph Kittinger, who holds three of the records Felix will strive to break.
Joe's record jump from 102,800 ft in 1960 was during a time when no one knew if a human could survive a jump from the edge of space. Joe was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force and had already taken a balloon to 97,000 feet in Project ManHigh and survived a drogue mishap during a jump from 76,400 feet in Excelsior I. The Excelsior III mission was his 33rd parachute jump.
Although researching extremes was part of the program's goals, setting records wasn't the mission's purpose. Joe ascended in helium balloon launched from the back of a truck. He wore a pressurized suit on the way up in an open, unpressurized gondola. Scientific data captured from Joe's jump was shared with U.S. research personnel for development of the space program. Today Felix and his specialized team hope to take what was learned from Joe's jumps more than 50 years ago and press forward to test the edge of the human envelope.

EDIT: Joe is also a member of the team

The Red Bull Stratos team is composed of world-leading experts in medicine, science and engineering, including a former NASA crew surgeon, record-breaking aviators, and designers of some of the most innovative aircraft ever produced. A key member of the team, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Joe Kittinger is the man who astonished the world with his stratospheric jump more than 50 years ago and whose records Felix Baumgartner will attempt to surpass.

[Fromk]

Jalopnik has an article with a neat diagram here http://jalopnik.com/5949353/everythi...ile-space-jump.

I've been waiting for this jump for a while. The practice attempts were pretty cool.

[BUC303]

Jalopnik has an article with a neat diagram here http://jalopnik.com/5949353/everythi...ile-space-jump.

I've been waiting for this jump for a while. The practice attempts were pretty cool.

An important quote from this link

If Baumgartner lives through the 120,000 foot leap, he'll go down in the record books as the man with the largest set of balls to ever set foot on this planet.

[wyome]

NASA & Kittinger did this...this guy is doing it from higher altitude tho...