Record Breaking Skydive attempt

Sarah in SC

Sarah in SC

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This morning 10/09/12, Austrian Felix Baumgartner is attempting to break the record set for a near-Space jump, which was set by Col. Joe Kittenger in 1960. It is really an amazing attempt--he's been training for five years and will attempt to launch from 120,000 feet above the earth. The launch is from Roswell, NM.

Right now the capsule is being loaded for launch. Check it out on the live feed here: Live Broadcast | Red Bull Stratos

I'm so excited! :dance::dance::dance::dance:
 
I KNOW! DANG! Col. Kittenger looked so disappointed. He really wants his record broken!
Did you see they have an Airstream out there on the launch site?
Maybe tomorrow!
 
I didn't see the Airstream. But there sure seems to be enough support personnel. The tech director sure looked like his heart was pounding. Hopefully tomorrow is a go. Seems very interesting.
 
I noticed that, too, ronin. He was breathing really hard in the mission control room.
Kittenger was really emotional, even more so than Felix.

Good thing he wasn't in the capsule, he'd have used up all that oxygen in a hurry.
The Airstream was towed out there and the whole back end opened up to let Felix walk in fully-geared up. I guess it is his dressing room/trailer. Pretty cool that it opened up like that so he could get out of all that gear in some kind of privacy.
 
The jump is back on again, this morning.

Here is a WaPo blog link http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...7ddfc18-159d-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_blog.html
9:29 a.m.: Baumgartner has entered the capsule and is continuing pre-breathing oxygen to remove nitrogen from his blood. Nitrogen could expand dangerously at the high altitude. The pre-breathing process takes approximately two hours.
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9:37 a.m.: We continue to wait for the 11 a.m. ET estimated launch time to arrive. In the meantime, if you haven’t yet, check out the mission timeline interactive, which outlines Baumgartner’s ascent, descent and landing. In total, it is estimated he will spend 15 to 20 minutes in the air — from the time he exits the capsule to when he lands. He will deploy his parachute at 5,000 feet.
Click to expand...
 
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Thanks, I'd forgotten. He's on his way up!
 
Thanks for posting about this - I heard that it was postponed on Monday, but thought it was rescheduled for the following Monday. Watching it currently (@ about 60,000 ft, on his way up to 120,000)
 
65 years ago today Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier. If successful, today will be the first time the the sound barrier is broken by someone outside a plane.
 
Also on channel 182 on Dish.
It says DISC, which is the Discover Channel I think but there are commercials.
 
Any guesses on max altitude at bailout?

I'm going with 127,501 feet.
 
MichaelB said:
65 years ago today Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier. If successful, today will be the first time the the sound barrier is broken by someone outside a plane.
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... and lives to talk about it.

There have been ejections at greater than Mach 1 by military aircrew. I don't know if that counts as "breaking the sound barrier" but I think only one man has survived the experience.

I like Baumgarter's retirement attitude. After this he's not going to jump anymore, but instead will do something safer: flying rescue helicopters.
 
Set a new highest manned balloon flight record. Set a new freefall speed record, including first man to freefall over the speed of sound. Set a new highest parachute jump record.

Didn't break Kittinger's longest time in freefall record. With all the assistance Kittinger gave him for this attempt, I wonder if he left that record stand on purpose.
 
Watched pretty much the whole thing......absolutely fantastic! :clap:
 
Amazing, the guy's wife sure did look relieved after he landed. Pretty cool all in all.
 
growing_older said:
Set a new highest manned balloon flight record. Set a new freefall speed record, including first man to freefall over the speed of sound. Set a new highest parachute jump record.

Didn't break Kittinger's longest time in freefall record. With all the assistance Kittinger gave him for this attempt, I wonder if he left that record stand on purpose.
Click to expand...

I had the same thought.
 
So what happens to the balloon and the capsule? Are they recovered, or equipped with their own parachute system, or just burning up on re-entry?
 
growing_older said:
Didn't break Kittinger's longest time in freefall record. With all the assistance Kittinger gave him for this attempt, I wonder if he left that record stand on purpose.
Click to expand...

Several decades ago I was the co-pilot on an Air Force (human) cargo flight from Florida to the midwest. One of the passengers was Col Kittinger's wife. She came up to the cockpit, sat herself in the jump seat between us and 'bout talked our ears off.

No question in my mind as to why her husband was willing to jump out of a balloon miles above the earth....
 
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