Skydiver preparing for 120,000-foot supersonic fall

Skydiver preparing for 120,000-foot supersonic fall

Felix Baumgartner will ride a helium balloon to an altitude of almost 23 miles, then jump.


New York (CNN) -- An Austrian daredevil is planning to become the first person to break the sound barrier in a free fall, without riding in a vehicle.

This summer in New Mexico, Felix Baumgartner hopes to make the highest, longest and fastest fall ever.

His attempt will take him to an altitude where the atmosphere ends and space begins -- where blood boils at body temperature, and the air temperature could be as low as minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

The first step in the attempt will be riding a helium balloon to an altitude of 120,000 feet above sea level -- almost 23 miles -- higher than anyone has ascended in a balloon before.

Then, wearing a pressurized suit and oxygen tanks, he plans to jump out of his capsule for a five-minute fall back to Earth. Within the first 30 seconds, he expects to be falling faster than the speed of sound, which at that altitude is around 690 miles per hour. Crossing that barrier would mark a new test of the limits of the human body.

"This is what we want to find out: What happens to the human body when it breaks the speed of sound," Baumgartner said. "That's a big question mark."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/21/supersonic.skydive/index.html?hpt=T3

The atmosphere is pretty thin at that altitude, damn near in space.

I get this science stuff mixed up.
;)

Otherwise, it'll be difficult to shut down Nero's drill.

That had ta hurt.

and let's give one of them.....A SWORD!!!


Loved the movie anyway:)

See J.W. Kittinger. The new attempt will be higher.

For some reason, the image of a body falling to pieces comes to mind, though it has no basis in fact. Either way, incredibly interesting.

George bush with him.

Bubye!