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Austrian eyes record jump from edge of space in US
Topic Started: 9 Oct 2012, 01:38 AM (176 Views)
skibboy
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08 OCTOBER 2012

Austrian eyes record jump from edge of space in US

Posted Image
In this image obtained from www.redbullcontentpool.com, pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austriasits in his capsule during the preparations for the final manned flight of the Red Bull Stratos mission in Roswell, New Mexico, on October 6. The Austrian daredevil is hoping to make an unprecedented leap from the edge of space Tuesday, setting records as he breaks the speed of sound in freefall.

Posted Image
In this image obtained from www.redbullcontentpool.com, Austrian pilot Felix Baumgartner sits in his capsule during the preparation of the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos in Roswell, New Mexico, on October 5. The Austrian daredevil is hoping to make an unprecedented leap from the edge of space Tuesday, setting records as he breaks the speed of sound in freefall.

AFP - An Austrian daredevil is hoping to make an unprecedented leap from the edge of space Tuesday, setting records as he breaks the speed of sound in freefall in the skies above the US state of New Mexico.

Felix Baumgartner will ascend to 120,000 feet -- nearly 23 miles, or 36 km -- in a capsule taken up to the edge of the stratosphere by a gigantic helium balloon, before stepping out in a pressurized suit to fall back to earth.

The jump was initially due to take place Monday morning, but was delayed by 24 hours due to weather.

The 43-year-old has been training for five years for the jump, during which he will be in freefall for some five minutes before opening a parachute at 5,000 feet up to float back to the ground.

The biggest danger he faces is spinning out of control, which could exert G forces and make him lose consciousness -- a controlled dive from the capsule is essential, putting him in a head-down position to increase speed.

"On a mission like this, you need to be mentally fit and have total control over what you do, and I'm preparing very thoroughly," said Baumgartner, who will wear a pressurized space-suit and carry oxygen tanks to help him breathe.

He hopes to set a number of records: the first man to break the speed of sound, around 690 mph; the highest ever jump -- over three times the average airliner cruising altitude -- and the fastest speed in freefall.

The Red Bull Stratos mission, backed by a 100-strong team of experts and centered on the launch site in Roswell, New Mexico, also hopes to contribute to medical and aeronautical research.

"We'll be setting new standards for aviation. Never before has anyone reached the speed of sound without being in an aircraft," said medical director Dr. Jonathan Clark, who was the crew surgeon for six Space Shuttle flights.

The mission will test "new equipment and developing the procedures for inhabiting such high altitudes as well as enduring such extreme acceleration," to improve safety for astronauts but also potential space tourists, he added.

The pod-like space capsule that will take Baumgartner to the edge of space is to be hoisted aloft by a giant helium-filled balloon -- taller than the Eiffel Tower when fully inflated -- around 6:00 am Tuesday (1200 GMT).

The ascent is expected to take between 2-3 hours. The descent, if all goes well, will take about 15 to 20 minutes -- five minutes or so in freefall, and 10 to 15 floating down with his parachute, hopefully to a soft landing.

The flight will be streamed live on the mission's website -- www.redbullstratos.com -- with more than 35 cameras on the ground and in the air, including on Baumgartner's suit.

Among the mission team is retired US Air Force Colonel Joseph Kittinger, who holds three of the records Baumgartner will try to break -- including the current record jump from 102,800 ft, set more than 50 years ago in 1960.

At that time no one knew whether a human could survive such a leap. "Man is always inquisitive, and always wants to go faster, higher, lower, deeper -- that's part of the challenge of human beings.

"We always like to push the envelope," said the 83-year-old ahead of Monday's jump.

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skibboy
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10 OCTOBER 2012 - 00H23

Austrian space diver no stranger to danger

Posted Image
Austrian parachuter Felix Baumgartner gets ready to jump from a helicopter at 5,000 feet above the Gulf emirate of Al-Ain in 2005. Baumgartner, who had hoped to make history Tuesday with a jump from the edge of space, is no stranger to death-defying danger.
AFP - Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian daredevil who had hoped to make history Tuesday with a jump from the edge of space, is no stranger to death-defying danger.

The 43-year-old, who said he may now try his aborted jump on Thursday, is hoping to break at least three records by conducting the highest and the fastest freefall jump and by becoming the first human to break the speed barrier without an aircraft.

"I love a challenge, and trying to become the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall is a challenge like no other," he said ahead of the canceled stunt in the skies over New Mexico.

Tuesday's attempt was scuttled at the last minute due to gusting winds which buffeted the huge, gossamer-thin balloon used to lift the skydiver to an altitude of 23 miles (36 km). Another bid may be made Thursday.

Baumgartner, born on April 20, 1969, grew up in the shadow of the Alps in Salzburg, Austria. He dreamed of skydiving and flying helicopters from an early age.

He made his first skydive at the age of 16, and improved his skills after joining the Austrian military, becoming a member of its Special Forces demonstration team.

One of Baumgartner's first records was in 1999 for the lowest BASE jump ever from the hand of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, which is only 95 feet above the ground.

Baumgartner has "Born to Fly" tattooed in large letters on his forearm. BASE is an acronym for the four things which are jumped from: buildings, antennas, spans and earth.

The Austrian, a licensed gas balloon and helicopter pilot, twice set world records for the highest BASE jump from a building.

The first was from the 1,479-feet (450.8-meter) Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1999, and five years later from the even taller Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan.

In 2003, he completed the first winged "freefall crossing" of the English Channel, jumping out of an aircraft and flying the rest of the way to Calais in northern France with a pair of carbon wings.

Other feats include parachuting into a 623-feet (190-meter) deep cave in Croatia, leaping off the highest bridge in the world, the 1,125-feet (343-meter) high Viaduc de Millau in France.

Baumgartner has also imprinted his hands and feet in concrete in Vienna's "Street of Champions" and was nominated for a World Sports Award and two categories in the NEA Extreme Sports Awards.

He has been training for Tuesday's Red Bull Stratos jump -- from 120,000 feet (23 miles, 36 kilometers) -- for five years, and has successfully jumped from 71,600 feet (21.8 kilometers) and 97,100 feet (29.6 kilometers).

A major danger, he said, is losing consciousness.

"That could happen if I get into a flat spin... like a CD on a CD player. Then the blood goes to the head and leads to red-out. Black-out is the opposite, when the blood goes to the feet."

But he said it is unlikely that he will pay the ultimate price for his love of skydiving.

"In order for me to die, lots of things have to happen at the same time," Baumgartner said.

Meticulous planning makes that outcome unlikely, he said.

"I think it is all about preparation. Do your homework, you know. I hate it if someone calls me a thrill-seeker or an adrenaline junkie because I am not. I like the whole planning," Baumgartner said.

He divides his time between Switzerland and the United States but says: "The air is where I am at home."

"I believe in God and I truly believe that there is a plan that he has for everybody. And I also believe that he has a plan for me. It looks like I am becoming an astronaut," he has said.

"I'm going to slide the door open, bail out and become the first human person in freefall to break the speed of sound," he said.

"That is His plan and that is probably my last goal that I have to accomplish."

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skibboy
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13 OCTOBER 2012

Austrian daredevil to make new space jump bid

Posted Image
Felix Baumgartner lands in the desert during the second manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos in Roswell, New Mexico, in July 2012.
An Austrian daredevil hopes to make a new record-breaking attempt Sunday to jump from the edge of space, days after his initial bid was aborted at the last minute due to gusting winds.

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Handout photo shows Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner lifting up during his second manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos in July.
He was seconds away from lift-off on Tuesday when mission control decided to cancel it because the balloon taking him up was buffeted badly.

Posted Image
In this image obtained from www.redbullcontentpool.com, Felix Baumgartner of Austria stands outside his capsule during the preparations for the final manned flight of the Red Bull Stratos mission in Roswell, New Mexico, on October 5.

AFP - An Austrian daredevil hopes to make a new record-breaking attempt Sunday to jump from the edge of space, days after his initial bid was aborted at the last minute due to gusting winds.

Felix Baumgartner will be transported up to 23 miles (37 kilometers) above the Rarth beneath an enormous balloon, before launching himself into the void, aiming to become the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall.

If successful, he will go down in the record books. If not, he could face serious consequences, including death.

The 43-year-old was seconds away from lift-off in the US state of New Mexico on Tuesday when organizers decided to cancel because his huge, gossamer-thin balloon was buffeted badly, even while still on the ground.

The Red Bull Stratos mission managers said shortly afterward that Thursday could work for a new bid, but scrubbed that the next day due to a forecast of windy weather for most of the rest of the week.

But everything now seems set for Sunday morning.

"I like what I see on Sunday," said mission meteorologist Don Day. "It will again be a matter of what happens with the winds on the top" of the balloon.

"We may still have to wait and the window will likely be open until 11:00 am (1700 GMT). We need to be ready for launch just after sunrise" around 6:45 am (1245 GMT), he added.

The ascent is expected to take between two and three hours.

If all goes well, the descent will take about 15 to 20 minutes -- five minutes or so in freefall, and 10 to 15 floating down with his parachute.

The entire attempt will be beamed live by broadcasters around the world, and online -- although with a 20-second delay in case something goes wrong, so that organizers can cut the feed.

The biggest risk he faces is spinning out of control, which could exert G forces and make him lose consciousness.

A controlled dive from the capsule is essential, putting him in a head-down position to increase speed.

More gruesomely, the skydiver's blood could boil if there were the slightest tear or crack in his pressurized spacesuit-like outfit, due to instant depressurization at the extreme altitude.

Temperatures of 90 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 68 Celsius) could also have unpredictable consequences if his suit somehow fails.

"If there is a mishap, Mission Control is on it and would absolutely cut the feed," spokeswoman Sarah Anderson told AFP.

Baumgartner aims to break at least three records: the highest freefall leap, the fastest speed ever achieved by a human and become the first person to break the sound barrier of around 690 miles per hour in freefall.

The Austrian has been training for five years for the jump.

He holds several previous records, notably with spectacular base jumps from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The mission, backed by a 100-strong team of experts, also hopes to contribute to medical and aeronautical research aimed at improving the safety of astronauts.

Baumgartner spoke of his disappointment when the first launch was aborted.

"When (mission director) Art (Thompson) told me we were aborting the mission, I thought it was a joke," he said.

"We've made it so far. There's no turning back," he added. "We're here, we've got the helium and we're good to go. Whether that's tomorrow or the first day next week, I don't really care."

source: Posted Image
Edited by skibboy, 14 Oct 2012, 01:40 AM.
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skibboy
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14 October 2012

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner breaks sound barrier

By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent

Posted Image
Felix Baumgartner's leap into the record books

Austrian Felix Baumgartner has become the first skydiver to go faster than the speed of sound, reaching a top speed of 833.9mph (1,342km/h).

The 43-year-old has also broken the record for the highest ever freefall by jumping out of a balloon 128,100ft (24 miles; 39km) above New Mexico.

He said he almost aborted the dive because his helmet visor fogged up.

It took just under 10 minutes for him to descend. Only the last few thousand feet were negotiated by parachute.

Once down, he fell to his knees and raised his fists in triumph.

Helicopter recovery teams were on hand moments later.

"Let me tell you - when I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble. You don't think about breaking records anymore, you don't think about gaining scientific data - the only thing that you want is to come back alive," he said afterwards at a media conference.

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Anxious viewing: Eva Baumgartner watches her son climb into the sky

None of the new marks set by Baumgartner can be classed as "official" until endorsed by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI).

Its representative was the first to greet the skydiver on the ground.

GPS data recorded on to a microcard in the Austrian's chest pack will form the basis for any height and speed claims that are made.

There was concern early in the dive that he was in trouble.

Baumgartner was supposed to get himself into a delta position - head down, arms back - as soon as possible after leaving his capsule.

But the video showed him tumbling over and over.

Eventually, however, he was able to use his great experience, from more than 2,500 career skydives, to correct his fall and get into a stable configuration.

Even before this drama, it was thought the mission might have to be aborted.

As he went through last-minute checks inside the capsule, it was found that a heater for his visor was not working.

This meant the visor fogged up as he exhaled.

"This is very serious, Joe," he told retired US Air Force Col Joe Kittinger, whose records he was attempting to break, and who was acting as his radio link in mission control at Roswell airport.

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The Austrian first began to discuss seriously the idea of a record breaking jump in 2005

Baumgartner's efforts have finally toppled records that have stood for more than 50 years.

The previous highest, farthest, and longest freefall was made by Col Kittinger, who leapt from a helium envelope in 1960.

His altitude was 102,800ft (31km). (His mark for the longest freefall remains intact; he fell for more than four and a half minutes before deploying his chute.)

Col Kittinger, now an octogenarian, has been an integral part of Baumgartner's team, and has provided the Austrian with advice and encouragement whenever he has doubted his ability to complete such a daring venture.

Deadly feat

The 43-year-old adventurer - perhaps best known for leaping off skyscrapers - first discussed the possibility of beating Col Kittinger's records in 2005.

Since then, he has had to battle technical and budgetary challenges to make it happen.

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Kittinger (L) was the only person Baumgartner wanted to hear on the radio during the mission

What he was proposing was extremely dangerous, even for a man used to those skyscraper stunts.

At Sunday's jump altitude, the air pressure is less than 2% of what it is at sea level, and it is impossible to breathe without an oxygen supply.

Others who have tried to break the records for the highest, fastest and longest freefalls have lost their lives in the process.

Baumgartner's team built him a special pressurised capsule to protect him on the way up, and for his descent he wore a next generation, full pressure suit made by the same company that prepares the flight suits of astronauts.

Although the jump had the appearance of another Baumgartner stunt, his team stressed its high scientific relevance.

The researchers on the Red Bull Stratos project say it has already provided invaluable data for the development of high-performance, high-altitude parachute systems, and that the lessons learned will inform the development of new ideas for emergency evacuation from vehicles, such as spacecraft, passing through the stratosphere.

Nasa and its spacecraft manufacturers have asked to be kept informed.

Jon Clark is the medical director on the team.

The former shuttle flight surgeon lost his wife in the Columbia accident in 2003.

He said Baumgartner's experience could help save the lives of future astronauts who get into trouble.

A BBC/National Geographic documentary is being made about the project and will probably be aired in November.

Posted Image
The giant helium balloon carrying Baumgartner's capsule was released at 0831 local time in Roswell

Posted Image

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skibboy
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23 OCTOBER 2012

Space daredevil Baumgartner is 'officially retired'

Posted Image
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Baumgartner, the first man to break the sound barrier in freefall, says he is giving up being a daredevil but now aims to help others in trouble.

AFP - Felix Baumgartner, the first man to break the sound barrier in freefall, says he is giving up being a daredevil but now aims to help others in trouble.

"I am officially retired from the daredevil business now," the 43-year-old Austrian told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a meeting Tuesday to discuss his death-defying jump from the edge of space earlier this month.

Ban told Baumgartner how he had joined the millions who watched live coverage of the jump from 24 miles (39 kilometers) above New Mexico when the Austrian reached a claimed top speed of 833.9 miles (1,342 kilometers) per hour, 1.24 times the speed of sound.

"I thought my heart would stop," the UN leader said, hailing Baumgartner as "the most courageous person in the world."

"We talked about what I accomplished on October 14 and about future plans, how to inspire young people and women," Baumgartner told AFP after his meeting with Ban.

He said he was ready to get involved in a United Nations initiative.

But the former paratrooper said he was now concentrating on becoming a commercial helicopter pilot as a retirement job.

"I am going to put myself into public service as a pilot, rescuing people from mountains, as a firefighter," he said, adding that he would work in Austria, Switzerland and the United States.

Though his jump caused mass jitters among others, Baumgartner said he has no physical scars.

"When I landed, I had a medical check and there were no problems," he told AFP. But he is not recommending that anyone try to copy him, saying: "No, I wouldn't. Trust me, it is difficult."

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