Felix Baumgartner is an Australian skydiver, stuntman and extreme sportsman that has dreams a bit more peculiar than others. One of these dreams was to cross the English Channel, separating the UK from France, in freefall, having jumped from a plane over a country, and landed in the other. But his newest plan is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous ever attempted by anyone. Basically, he plans to fly to the edge of space, and then jump, in the first ever attempt of going supersonic in freefall,
Space reports.
In the process, the daredevil will also attempt to break the world record for the highest jump ever, which has been in place for nearly 50 years. Baumgartner plans to jump from a height of about 120,000 feet (36,576 meters), which is approximately four times higher than the peak of Mount Everest, the tallest feature on our planet. He will be lifted to this height inside a capsule. The 2,500-pound (1,133.9-kilogram) pressurized container will be hoisted up in the air by a 600-feet (182-meter) -wide plastic weather balloon.
At that height, the air around is nearly gone. This means that, for a good part of his freefall, the daredevil will meet very little air friction. His team believes that, 35 seconds after the leap, Baumgartner will go supersonic, the first time anything like this has been achieved. The current world record of the highest jump (102,800 feet or 31,333 meters) belongs to Joe Kittinger, a former US Air Force (USAF) Captain. “Hell no, I didn't hesitate. When it came time to jump, I was happy as hell to go, to go back to where it's friendly and fun. Earth is friendly and fun, and it's not friendly and fun at 20 miles up,” he said of his historic jump.
There are many unknowns facing the Australian man in his quest. Spin is one of them, as it could render him unconscious. Breaking the sound barrier without the aid of a vehicle is another, as this has never been done before. Additionally, any punctures in his pressurized airsuit could have fatal consequences. He will be breathing pure oxygen as he descends, which means that the electronics employed on his modified space suit will need to be customized so that they have a minimal risk of producing sparks.
In addition to setting a new world record, the new jump will also help collect some useful scientific data. Experts are curious to understand more about this type of freefall, as this could be used in spacecraft to promote astronaut safety. If the suits can withstand this type of fall, then this may constitute the basis of a new type of escape mechanism.
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