Felix Baumgartner took the huge jump from 24 miles above the surface of Earth
Jumping from the edge of space to the surface of the Earth sounds absolutely mad. And it is for that reason that only a handful of people have ever attempted the act.
Arguably the most famous of them all was Felix Baumgartner who, in 2012, teamed up with Red Bull for the huge 26 mile jump to Earth, travelling at a speed of 843 miles per hour (mph) – otherwise known as Mach 1.5, a velocity that saw him break the sound barrier in a record first for a jump powered by nothing but themselves.
And the crazy thing about it? It was captured in full HD thanks to a series of GoPro devices attached to him and the platform that he jumped from as he looked over the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico, USA.
The Red Bull Stratos capsule that took Felix Baumgartner to the edge of space (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Planning the jump from the edge of space
Baumgartner was chosen by Red Bull Stratos for the event, with the Austrian being an established skydiver and daredevil.
He performed two test jumps prior to the big one, falling from 21,818 meters and 29,460 meters and travelling at 360mph and 536mph, respectively. Both were a success.
The actual test on 14 October, 2012, saw the now 55-year-old BASE jumper fly up in to the skies over Roswell in a helium balloon that reached 39 kilometers in to the sky. This was short of something know as the the Kármán line, which is a height of 100 kilometers commonly accepted to be where space begins.
Baumgartner had been wearing a pressurized suit due to passing something called the ‘Armstrong limit’; a point in Earth’s atmosphere where water boils at the same temperature of the human body. For humans, it is a point where you would lose consciousness and experience serious cardiovascular health issues – and potential death – if not travelling while pressurized.
Baumgartner during the jump (YouTube / GoPro)
Jumping from 26 miles in the sky
Baumgartner jumped from the balloon and within 42 seconds reached a terminal velocity of 834mph.
Tragedy almost struck when Baumgartner went in to an uncontrolled spin. Thankfully, he regained stability during the jump.
In a worst case scenario, he had an abort switch to deploy a parachute but in doing that, he would have ended any hope of breaking speed records for the jump.
Four minutes and 16 seconds into the jump, the Austrian deployed his parachute and spent the next five or so minutes being brought back to Earth.
Baumgartner is known for his dangerous stunts (Manfred Laux/Getty Images)
GoPros and a live stream
The entire event was broadcast live on YouTube, with a then record 9.5 million people tuning in to watch the event as it unfolded.
What was so gripping about the event was that you felt like you were in Baumgartner’s position with a GoPro camera showing his point of view.
And then the moment comes, where it shows him quietly fall to Earth after saying the words: “I’m coming home now.”
It’s eerie stuff and simple nothing any of us had seen before.
On its role in the event, GoPro said: “Millions across the globe watched as he opened the door of the capsule, stepped off the platform, and broke the speed of sound while free falling safely back to Earth. Felix set three world records that day—and inspired us all to reach beyond the limits of our own realities, and reimagine our potential to achieve the incredible.
“GoPro was honored to be a part of this epic achievement, with seven HERO2 cameras documenting every moment.
“From the airless freeze of outer space, to the record-breaking free fall and momentous return to ground, see it all through Felix’s eyes as captured by GoPro, and experience this incredible mission like never before. No one gets you closer than this.”
Featured Image Credit: YouTube / GoPro
