Edge of Space paradrop attempt

[Buster's Uncle]

Skydiver Attempting 23-Mile Supersonic Freefall Tuesday: How to Watch Live
By Clara Moskowitz | SPACE.com – 37 mins ago.. .

 
Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner will try to break world records when he leaps from higher than anyone has jumped before on Tuesday (Oct. 9), and anyone can watch the feat live online.
 
You can watch the skydive, called Red Bull Stratos, live here on SPACE.com. The flight was originally scheduled for today (Oct. , but was pushed back a day because of a cold front at the Roswell, N.M. launch site.
 
Baumgartner will launch in a balloon and fly to almost 23 miles above Earth, before jumping out. At an altitude of 120,000 feet (36,576 meters), the skydiver will begin a freefall that will send him driving toward the ground faster than the speed of sound. Once he gets closer to Earth, he'll open a parachute to cushion his landing.
 
In addition to becoming the first person to break the sound barrier outside an aircraft, Baumgartner is seeking to capture the record for highest skydive ever. If his mission goes off without a hitch, he'll also achieve the fastest freefall, longest-duration freefall and the highest manned balloon flight ever.  [Space Jump: How Daredevil's Record-Breaking Supersonic Skydive Works (Infographic )]
 
Baumgartner and his crew plan to begin the mission in Roswell in the "wee hours," Red Bull Stratos spokesman Derrick Lerum told SPACE.com. "The timeline isn't really set in stone because of weather conditions," he added.
 
The team is hoping to launch between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. local Roswell time, or 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. EDT (1200 and 1500 GMT).
 
The balloon carrying Baumgartner's capsule is 55 stories high, yet its walls are 10 times thinner than a plastic sandwich bag. For the safety of the balloon, wind conditions at launch time can't exceed 2 mph (3.2 kph).
 
The skydiver will ride aloft in a specially made 2,900-pound (1,315-kilogram) pressurized capsule.
 
One of Red Bull Stratos' advisors is the current world record holder for the highest skydive,Joe Kittinger, who leaped from 102,800 feet (31,333 m) in 1960 as U.S. Air Force captain. Baumgartner, who is 43 years old, has previously crossed the English Channel on a carbon wing and leaped from many of the world's tallest buildings.
 
Although Red Bull Stratos' leaders have said Baumgartner's dive will begin "at the edge of space," the boundary of space is generally thought to be 62 miles (100 km), or 327,000 feet, high.
 
Red Bull is also broadcasting video of Baumgartner's attempt on its website and on YouTube. To receive updates about the Bed Bull Stratos launch timing, you can sign up via the project's Facebook page, or follow Twitter for updates @redbullstratos.
 
For a list of alternate streams to watch the live video, and further tips for catching Baumgartner's death-defying leap, visit: http://www.redbullstratos.com/the-mission/how-to-watch-live!/

[Buster's Uncle]

Skydiver's supersonic jump on weather hold
By JERI CLAUSING | Associated Press – 3 hrs ago.. .


ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — Plans for extreme athlete and skydiver Felix Baumgartner to make a death-defying, 23-mile free fall into the southeastern New Mexico desert were on hold Tuesday morning because of winds, but his team was still hoping the weather would clear in time to make the jump.
 
The 43-year-old former military parachutist from Austria planned to take off in a 55-story, ultra-thin and easy-to-tear helium balloon that would take him into the stratosphere for a jump that he hopes will make him the first skydiver to break the sound barrier and shatter three other world records.
 
Mission meteorologist Don Day said winds on the ground were an ideal 1 to 2 mph, but were 20 mph at the balloon-top level of 700 feet before sunrise.
 
"We need 3 mph or less at 800 feet," Day said, putting the chance of a launch Tuesday at "50-50."
 
After sunrise, Day said there were indications the upper level winds might calm, so the team pushed the launch window from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., noon at the latest. A final decision would have to be made about 9:30 as it takes about an hour and half to fill the balloon and get Baumgartner suited up and ready.
 
"We are going to stick it out for another couple of hours," he said, adding, "We've got everyone here. We are going to wait and see if we can take advantage of it."
 
If the launch, already delayed one day by a cold front, can't go Tuesday, Day said the next try probably wouldn't be until Thursday. In addition to the wind, he said, the team was having some issues with the GPS system.
 
The balloon had been scheduled to launch about 7 a.m. from a field near the airport in a flat dusty town that until now has been best known for a rumored 1947 UFO landing.
 
If the mission goes, Baumgartner will make a nearly three-hour ascent to 120,000 feet, then take a bunny-style hop from a pressurized capsule into a near-vacuum where there is barely any oxygen to begin what is expected to be the fastest, farthest free fall from the highest-ever manned balloon.
 
Baumgartner spent Monday at his hotel, mentally preparing for the dangerous feat with his parents, girlfriend and four close friends, his team said. He had a light dinner of salmon and a salad, then had a massage. He spent Tuesday morning resting in an Airstream trailer near the launch site.
 
Among the risks: Any contact with the capsule on his exit could tear the pressurized suit. A rip could expose him to a lack of oxygen and temperatures as low as 70 degrees below zero. It could cause potentially lethal bubbles to form in his bodily fluids, a condition known as "boiling blood."
 
He could also spin out of control, causing other risky problems.
 
The energy drink maker Red Bull, which is sponsoring the feat, has been promoting a live Internet stream of the event at http://www.redbullstratos.com/live from nearly 30 cameras on the capsule, the ground and a helicopter. But organizers said there will be a 20-second delay in their broadcast of footage in case of a tragic accident.
 
Despite the dangers and questionable wind forecast, high performance director Andy Walshe said the team was excited, not nervous. Baumgartner has made two practice jumps, one from 15 miles in March and another from 18 miles in July.
 
"With these big moments, you get a kind of sense that the energy changes," he said Monday. "It really is just kind of a heightened energy. It keeps you on your toes. It's not nervousness, it's excitement."
 
During the ascent, Walshe said, the team will have views from a number of cameras, including one focused directly on Baumgartner's face. Additionally, they will have data from life support and other systems that show things like whether he is getting enough oxygen.
 
The team also expects constant communication with Baumgartner, although former Air Force Capt. Joe Kittinger, whose 1960 free-fall record from 19.5 miles Baumgartner hopes to break, is the only member of mission control who will be allowed to talk to him.
 
And while Baumgartner hopes to set four new world records, his free fall is more than just a stunt.
 
His dive from the stratosphere should provide scientists with valuable information for next-generation spacesuits and techniques that could help astronauts survive accidents.
 
Jumping from more than three times the height of the average cruising altitude for jetliners, Baumgartner's expects to hit a speed of 690 mph or more before he activates his parachute at 9,500 feet above sea level, or about 5,000 above the ground in southeastern New Mexico. The total jump should take about 10 minutes.
 
His medical director is Dr. Jonathan Clark, a NASA space shuttle crew surgeon who lost his wife, Laurel Clark, in the 2003 Columbia accident. No one knows what happens to a body when it breaks the sound barrier, Clark said.
 
"That is really the scientific essence of this mission," said Clark, who is dedicated to improving astronauts' chances of survival in a high-altitude disaster.
 
Clark told reporters Monday he expects Baumgartner's pressurized spacesuit to protect him from the shock waves of breaking the sound barrier. If all goes well and he survives the jump, NASA could certify a new generation of spacesuits for protecting astronauts and provide an escape option from spacecraft at 120,000 feet, he said.
 
Currently, spacesuits are certified to protect astronauts to 100,000 feet, the level Kittinger reached in 1960. Kittinger's speed of 614 mph was just shy of breaking the sound barrier at that altitude.

[Green1]

That guy is not going to give up. Although, I was kind of dissappointed that there were no full videos of his two test jumps.

I am tempted to use my alter ego to ask about BASE jumping from the ISS on NSF (NO.. I will not do it on UMSF) in advanced concepts section of that forum. You can get away with Michu Kaku-esque things like that there and the engieers that work for ULA and NASA would eat that up.

[Buster's Uncle]

Somebody accidentally posted in the wrong place, and no one but me knows what you're talking about. 

[Green1]

I hate when I do that... at least it is a hobby forum instead of an industry forum. I would hate to do that at say, allnurses.com. Gawd, the ridicule.

That is what I get for having 12 tabs open at once and typing into 4 of them.

[Green1]

and wouldn't you know... as I typed that i damn near put an anarchist fanzine article into an article to be uploaded to allnurses. Gahhh... that would have been BAD. (then again... some might have gotten a kick out of it... particularly my fellow article writers in CA)

[Buster's Uncle]

I suppose allnurses is, lamentably, not a pr0n site?

Moved the posts.
 
-Also, I'm indeed NOT going to give up about building a community...

[Green1]

When this guy jumps there had BETTER be full video unlike his practice jumps or I am not going to be happy.

I am also going to sak around about BASE jumping from the ISS. After all, you just kow some rich crazy is going to want to try it!

[Buster's Uncle]

Didn't the first fellow to do one of these mega jumps about 50 years ago very nearly suffocate?  ISTR that if his parachute hadn't slightly malfunctioned, making him descend too fast, he wouldn't have made it.

[Buster's Uncle]

Daredevil Skydiver May Attempt Supersonic Jump Sunday After Delays
By Mike Wall | SPACE.com – Wed, Oct 10, 2012.. .

 
An Austrian daredevil will have to wait until Sunday (Oct. 14) for his next chance to beat the world record for highest-ever skydive, and break the sound barrier to boot.
 
Strong winds thwarted Felix Baumgartner's two previous attempts to leap from a balloon nearly 23 miles (37 kilometers) above Earth's surface, keeping him Earthbound both Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 8 and 9). And the weather doesn't look like it will cooperate until Sunday at the earliest, said officials with his mission, which is known as Red Bull Stratos.
 
"Meteorologist Don Day confirmed a Thursday launch is not possible," Red Bull Stratos officials said today (Oct. 10) via Twitter. "The next weather window opens on Sunday October 14th."
 
Baumgartner's team is concerned about wind gusts because the mission's 55-story balloon is so thin and fragile. Red Bull Stratos officials won't greenlight a liftoff if winds at the launch site in Roswell, N.M., exceed 2 mph (3.2 kph). [Video: Extreme Skydive from 120,000 Feet Animated]
 


The weather looked good early Tuesday, so the team filled the balloon with helium and Baumgartner climbed into his custom-built 2,900 pound (1,315 kilograms) capsule. But the winds kicked up in late morning, forcing Red Bull Stratos to scrub the launch at 11:42 a.m. local time (1:42 p.m. EDT; 1742 GMT).
 
That particular balloon is no longer fit for use, officials said, but the mission does have a backup that will be ready for the next attempt.
 
When the 43-year-old Baumgartner finally does lift off, he plans to ascend to 120,000 feet (36,576 meters) and then step out into the void. He would thus shatter the skydiving altitude record of 102,800 feet (31,333 m), which was set in 1960 by former Air Force Capt. Joe Kittinger (who currently serves as a Red Bull Stratos adviser).
 
As he plummets to Earth in a 5.5-minute freefall, Baumgartner should become the first skydiver ever to break the sound barrier, team officials have said. And the daredevil should notch a few other records as well, including longest-duration freefall and highest manned balloon flight.
 
While Baumgartner was frustrated by Tuesday's last-minute abort, he said he's ready to make the jump whenever conditions allow.
 
"I want this to happen this year. We've made it so far. There's no turning back," Baumgartner said after being pulled from his capsule Tuesday. "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."
 
Baumgartner has been working up to his record-breaking leap in a stepwise fashion. He jumped from 71,581 feet (21,818 m) this past March, for example, and then dove from 97,146 feet (29,610 m) on July 25.

[Buster's Uncle]

Daredevil's Record-Breaking Supersonic Skydive Attempt Now Set for Sunday
By Mike Wall | SPACE.com – 4 hrs ago.. .


An Austrian daredevil aims to leap from the stratosphere Sunday (Oct. 14) in a supersonic plunge that would break the world record for the highest-ever skydive — a benchmark that has lasted more than half a century.
 
Veteran skydiver Felix Baumgartner had hoped to have the nearly 23-mile-high (37 kilometers) jump under his belt by now, but strong winds thwarted attempts on both Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 8 and 9). On Sunday, however, winds may be calm enough to allow the skydiver's towering high-altitude balloon to lift off from its staging ground in Roswell, N.M., according to officials with Baumgartner's mission, which is known as Red Bull Stratos.
 
“I like what I see on Sunday," Red Bull Stratos meteorologist Don Day said in a statement today (Oct. 12). "It will again be a matter of what happens with the winds on the top (700-800 feet). We may still have to wait and the window will likely be open until 11 a.m. We need to be ready for launch just after sunrise [about 6:45 a.m. local time]."
 
You can watch the skydive live here on SPACE.com.
 
Winds are a big concern for the mission because Baumgartner's 55-story balloon is extremely thin and easily damaged. The team will not launch if winds at the launch site exceed 2 mph (3.2 kph), officials have said. [Extreme Skydive from 120,000 Feet Animated (Video)]
 


Indeed, one of the mission's balloons was rendered unusable after being whipped about by gusts on Tuesday. The weather had looked good in the morning, so the balloon was inflated and Baumgartner climbed into his custom-built 2,900-pound (1,315-kilogram) capsule. But winds kicked up to 25 mph (40 kph) briefly shortly before noon, twisting the balloon and scuttling the launch.
 
The team has a backup balloon ready for the next attempt, officials said.
 
If things go according to plan on Sunday, Baumgartner will ascend to about 120,000 feet (36,576 meters), then step out into the frigid void. He would thus shatter the current skydiving altitude record, which stands at 102,800 feet (31,333 m). That mark was set back in 1960 by U.S. Air Force Capt. Joe Kittinger, who now serves as a Red Bull Stratos adviser.
 
Baumgartner should become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier as he plummets to Earth in a 5.5-minute freefall (followed by a 15-minute parachute glide to Earth), officials say. So Sunday would be an appropriate day for his leap; it's the 65th anniversary of the first-ever supersonic airplane flight, flown by American test pilot Chuck Yeager.
 
Baumgartner will also likely set marks for longest-duration freefall and highest manned balloon flight. But the mission isn't all about breaking records, Red Bull Stratos officials say. It has scientific value as well, collecting data that could help enable high-altitude escapes from spacecraft.
 
Red Bull Stratos has called the mission a leap from the "edge of space." But space is generally considered to begin at an altitude of 62 miles (100 km; about 327,000 feet).

[Buster's Uncle]

Daredevil Skydiver to Attempt 23-Mile Supersonic Jump Sunday
By Tariq Malik | SPACE.com – 7 hrs ago.. .

 
Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner is once again ready to attempt the world's highest skydive today (Oct. 14), and plans to break the sound barrier while he's at it.
 
After two delays due to high winds, Baumgartner is expected to don a spacesuit-like custom pressure suit and ride a capsule 23 miles (37 kilometers) into the sky, only to jump into the void in pursuit of the skydiving record.
 
The high-altitude balloon carrying Baumgartner's capsule will liftoff from Roswell, N.M., a place more commonly associated with a rumored UFO crash. The record-chasing mission, called Red Bull Stratos, is sponsored by the energy drink of the same name.

 If all goes according to plan, the 43-year-old Baumgartner will go supersonic during his 5.5 minutes of freefall back to Earth and reach speeds of up to 690 mph (1,110 kph). He would be the first person to break the sound barrier without an aircraft, and do it on the 65th anniversary of the first supersonic flight by Chuck Yeager in the X-1 rocket plane in 1947.
 
"I want to break the speed of sound, no matter what it takes," Baumgartner said in a statement. "As long as we have a spare balloon and more launch days, I'm good." [Photos: Skydiver Attempts Record 23-Mile Supersonic Jump]
 
You can watch the skydive live here on SPACE.com.
 
Red Bull Stratos meteorologist Don Day said in a statement that Baumgartner's balloon is expected to be ready to launch by sunrise (6:45 a.m. MT, 8:45 a.m. EDT/1245 GMT), if weather conditions allow. The launch window extends through 11:45 a.m. MT (1:45 p.m. EDT, 1745 GMT)
 


Baumgartner is chasing a skydiving record that has stood for 52 years. In 1960, U.S. Air Force Capt. Joe Kittinger rode a balloon-toted capsule to an altitude of 102,800 feet (31,333 meters), setting the bar for all skydivers to come. Kittinger serves as an advisor on Baumgartner's mission, which is also aimed at studying "how the human body copes with the extreme conditions at the edge of space," according to a description.
 
For Red Bull Stratos, which organizers have touted as a jump from the "edge of space," Baumgartner aims to leap from a height of 120,000 feet (36,576 m). While the jump will set the record as the world's highest skydive, it would still be short of the widely recognized boundary of space, which is an altitude of 62 miles (100 km).

 Still, Baumgartner's Red Bull Stratos skydive would rack up a series of records. In addition to the highest skydive and the first supersonic freefall, the skydive would mark the longest-duration freefall and the world's highest balloon flight. He will fall through two of the four major layers of Earth's atmosphere during the dive.
 
The risks are high.
 
Baumgartner must be careful jumping from his capsule to avoid damaging his pressure suit or helmet. The air at his target altitude is too thin to breathe. The pressure difference could also cause bubbles to form in his bloodstream, commonly referred to as "boiling blood."
 
A loss of control during his descent could cause Baumgartner to lose consciousness. He has staged two successful practice jumps — from heights of 71,581 feet (21,818 m) and 97,146 feet (29,610 m) —respectively, earlier this year to rehearse for Sunday's attempt.
 
But conditions have to be right for Baumgartner to even try to attempt is record-breaking skydive.
 
The 55-story balloon that will be used to lift his capsule is extremely thin, about the thickness of a plastic sandwich bag. Strong winds could tear the balloon, Red Bull Stratos officials have said.
 
To avoid balloon damage, Baumgartner will only liftoff if winds at or near the liftoff site do not exceed 2 mph (3.2 kph).
 
High winds were the reason Baumgartner and his Red Bull Stratos team skipped a chance to try the skydive last Monday (Oct. , and then aborted an actual attempt on Tuesday.
 
Red Bull Stratos officials are optimistic for better weather on Sunday.
 
"I'm here with my family and friends who are all super supportive. I go to the gym and try to keep myself fit," Baumgartner said. "I've done all of my homework. Had all of my briefings with the team I trust. All we are waiting for now is the weather."

[sisko]

the press conference live!

Red Bull Stratos - freefall from the edge of space

[Buster's Uncle]

Felix Baumgartner’s space jump captivates Internet, Twitter
By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout – 4 hrs ago.. .

 
Felix Baumgartner's record-setting jump from the edge of space captivated millions watching the Red Bull-sponsored event live online via YouTube. And the 43-year-old Austrian skydiver's two-hour, 24-plus-mile balloon ascent and harrowing four-minute freefall in a pressurized spacesuit provided plenty of fodder for those on Twitter.
 
"And you thought your weekend was exciting," Twitter user @wonderwamy wrote.
 
"I seem to have tuned into the part of #spacejump where ground control is explaining to Baumgartner how to build an IKEA bookshelf," Dave Itzkoff wrote on Twitter.
 
"Instagram it or it didn't happen," Kathleen Schmidt tweeted.
 
[Related: Baumgartner sets new records by successfully skydiving from 24 miles high]
 
"Luckily Felix didn't hit that giant yellow paragraph floating by," a "Depressed Darth Vader" wrote.
 
"White men can #spacejump," Andy Levy, one of several Twitter users to make that joke, tweeted.
 
(YouTube)
 
The Red Bull tie-in, though, was mocked by many.
 
"This awe-inspiring human moment brought to you by sugared disease water," Richard Lawson wrote.
 
"After the jump, the camera cuts to the a conference room of jumping, teary-eyed marketing executives," John Herrman tweeted. "'We did it. Together, we did it.'"
 
"My only question is: How will 5-Hour Energy top this?" Lindsey Weber asked.
 
"James Cameron is now trying to figure out how to top the space jump," Brad Brevet wrote, adding the hashtag "#nobudgettoosteep."
 
[Slideshow: Baumgartner's historic leap]
 
"David Blaine just threw a glass at his TV," Aparna Nancherla added.
 
Several Twitter users thanked Baumgartner in advance for a Halloween costume idea. And at least one wondered where the audience went for his jump. "Guys, I'm up next," the user @Scharpling wrote. "Where is everybody?"
 
(YouTube)
 
Baumgartner's soft landing in the New Mexico desert was applauded, too.
 
"Best landing since McKayla Maroney," Dave Bry wrote, a nod to the gold-medal-winning American gymnast.
 
"I can't land like that jumping off a stepladder," Steve Yelvington tweeted.
 
At its peak, more than 8 million users watched Baumgartner's freefall, according to YouTube.
 
"Not confirmed yet, but I'm hearing this was the most live-tweeted space jump in history," Joseph Weisenthal joked.
 
"So there's your new [business] model, Web guys," Peter Kafka wrote. "Just gotta launch a guy into space multiple times a day."
 
"Red Bull wins the internet for today," @JMRooker added. "Everybody can go home now."

[Buster's Uncle]

World's Highest Skydive! Daredevil Makes Record-Breaking Supersonic Jump
By Mike Wall | SPACE.com – 6 hrs ago.. .

 
This story was updated at 6:19 p.m. EDT.
 
An Austrian daredevil plummeted into the record books today (Oct. 14), breaking the mark for highest-ever skydive after leaping from a balloon more than 24 miles above Earth's surface. Add one more feat: Going supersonic.
 
Felix Baumgartner stepped into the void nearly 128,000 feet (39,000 meters) above southeastern New Mexico Sunday at just after 12 p.m. MT (2 p.m. ET, 1800  GMT), then landed safely on the desert floor about 20 minutes later. His harrowing plunge shattered the skydiving altitude record, which had stood for more than 50 years, and it notched a few other firsts as well.

 During his freefall, for example, Baumgartner became the first skydiver ever to break the sound barrier, which is about 690 mph (1,110 kph) at such lofty heights. And this happened on a special day — today is the 65th anniversary of the first supersonic airplane flight, which was piloted by American Chuck Yeager in 1947 aboard the Bell X-1 rocket plane.
 
"I know the whole world is watching now, and I wish the world could see what I see," Baumgartner said just before the leap. "And sometimes you have to go up really high to see how small you really are." [Photos: Skydiver's Makes Record 24-Mile Supersonic Jump]
 
Preliminary results of the jump showed Baumgartner spent about 4 minutes and 20 seconds in freefall (a record without a drogue parachute). His maximum speed was 833 mph (1,342.8 kph), said Brian Utley, an air sports official watching over event.
 
The jump's top speed was thus Mach 1.24 — considerably faster than the speed of sound. Applause and cheers erupted in a post-jump press conference as Utley relayed the good news.
 
Baumgartner said he didn't feel anything different while breaking the sound barrier.
 
"When you're in that pressure suit, you don't feel anything. It's like being in a cast," he said.

 About the only glitch during the jump was a problem with the faceplate heater in Baumgartner's helmet, which the skydiver and his Mission Control team worked on during the hours-long ascent. They ultimately decided to proceed with the jump despite the heater glitch, and later Baumgartner reported the heater was working.
 
While in freefall, Baumgartner went into a harrowing spin briefly, but was able to recover and go into a controlled descent. He said his visor was fogging up during the dramatic descent. After the daredevil fell toward Earth for more than four minutes, his parachute deployed and applause erupted from his Mission Control.
 
Roof of the sky
 
Baumgartner's mission — called Red Bull Stratos, and sponsored by the Red Bull energy drink company — also set the record for highest-ever manned balloon flight, officials said. Project officials touted the skydive as a "space jump," calling it a "Mission to the Edge of Space."
 
The officially recognized space border is actually higher, however. Most experts generally regard space to begin at an altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers), or about 327,000 feet.

 One of the many folks congratulating Baumgartner today is doubtless Joe Kittinger, who set the previous altitude mark of 102,800 feet (31,333 m) in 1960 while a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Kittinger serves as an adviser to the Red Bull Stratos mission and communicated with Baumgartner during his ascent from mission control on the ground. [Extreme Skydive From 120,000 Feet Animated]
 
"I couldn't have done it any better myself," Kittinger radioed Baumgartner as he descended under parachute.
 
The 43-year-old Baumgartner is a veteran thrill-seeker, having leapt from some of the world's tallest buildings and soared across the English Channel in freefall with the aid of a carbon wing. But he said today's historic jump should do more than just etch his name in the record books.
 
"Red Bull Stratos is an opportunity to gather information that could contribute to the development of life-saving measures for astronauts and pilots — and maybe for the space tourists of tomorrow," Baumgartner said in a statement before his leap. "Proving that a human can break the speed of sound in the stratosphere and return to Earth would be a step toward creating near-space bailout procedures that currently don’t exist."
 
 
 


Liftoff for Red Bull Stratos
 
Baumgartner's 55-story helium-filled balloon lifted off from Roswell, N.M. around 9:30 a.m. local time today (11:30 a.m. EDT; 1530 GMT), carrying the daredevil aloft in his custom-built 2,900-pound (1,315 kilograms) capsule.
 
 
 
The balloon was originally supposed to take off Monday (Oct. , but that launch, and another attempt Tuesday (Oct. 9), were called off because of gusting winds. Even moderate breezes can damage the enormous balloon, which is made of material 10 times thinner than a plastic sandwich bag, Red Bull Stratos officials have said.
 
Some of the daredevil's close friends and family — including his parents, Felix and Eva — made the trip from Austria to witness his record-breaking leap, mission officials said.

 
 
"I know he is perfectly prepared," Eva Baumgartner said in a statement before her son's jump, which he had spent five years readying for. "I am happy that he can do this; he worked hard for it. It is his childhood dream coming true."
 
Baumgartner worked up to today's leap in a stepwise fashion, jumping from 71,581 feet (21,818 m) this past March and then from 97,146 feet (29,610 m) on July 25.
 
Jonathan Clark, a former NASA flight surgeon who served as the medical officer for Baumgartner's Red Bull Stratos mission, said nothing about the skydive was simple. From the faceplate heater to Baumgartner's early spin during freefall, the challenges were always great.
 
"This was not an easy task," Clark said. "The world needs a hero, and today they got one."

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"I call bull[poop] on that hero [poop]; [intercourse]that [excrement]," BUncle, a forum celebrity and admin who has been following the story, added.