It will be used to set a new world record for the highest skydive ever conducted

Mar 7, 2012 09:48 GMT  ·  By
Felix Baumgartner will try to travel at supersonic speed during a jump from a balloon located some 120,000 feet above Earth's surface
   Felix Baumgartner will try to travel at supersonic speed during a jump from a balloon located some 120,000 feet above Earth's surface

After five years of development, the capsule that will take daredevil skydiver Felix Baumgartner to an altitude of 120,000 feet (36,576 meters) has been completed. The ascent alone will set the record for the highest manned balloon flight ever conducted, before Baumgartner parachutes back to Earth.

He plans to go supersonic during his descent, which will break a new world record for the highest jump ever made. He will basically be jumping from nearly the edge of space, outfitted with a special suit.

His endeavor is sponsored by Red Bull, which has supported this endeavor for a long time. The Red Bull Stratos team announced the completion of the balloon capsule on March 6, Space reports.

According to the technical specifications sheet, the vehicle is about 3.4 meters (11 feet) high and 2.4 meters (8 feet) wide at the base. It currently weighs in excess of 1,315 kilograms (2,900 pounds).

During ascent, the capsule will protect Baumgartner from the extremely rarefied and cold air in Earth's stratosphere. Once he is in position, he will unseal the pressurized vehicle, and then make his jump.

Temperatures at that altitude are expected to reach minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 57 degrees Celsius), so the special suite he will wear was specifically designed to provide the necessary heat.

When the mission launches, the capsule will dangle about 46 meters (150 feet) below a giant helium balloon. The recent series of tests it underwent was meant to detect whether the vehicle is ready to fly or not. Engineers determined that performances are within expected parameters.

After the daredevil jumps, an automated system will detach the capsule from its tether. The vehicle will then return to Earth via parachute, so that the Red Bull Stratos team can recover it intact.

In addition to breaking the world records for the highest manned balloon flight and the highest skydive, Baumgartner will also set a record for the longest freefall (estimated time: 5 minutes 30 seconds) and for being the first to go supersonic during descent.

The daredevil, 42, is from Austria. He says that jumping from 120,000 feet would beat the previous world record for the highest skydive, which was set in 1960, and which currently stands at 31,333 meters (102,800 feet).

“This mission is all about pioneer work. Maybe one day people will look back and say it was Felix Baumgartner and the Red Bull Stratos team that helped to develop the suit that they're wearing in space. We want to do something for posterity,” Baumgartner said in a recent statement.