He’s not called “Fearless Felix” for nothing. On Sunday, skydiving daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped from the edge of space and became the first person ever to break the sound barrier. In doing so, Baumgartner achieved the astonishing speed of 833.9 miles per hour, or Mach 1.24. To put that in perspective, the 43-year-old Austrian was traveling about as fast as a supersonic jet.

“It is hard to describe [breaking the speed of sound] because I didn’t feel it,” he said afterward. “When you’re in a dead pressure suit [and without reference points] you don’t feel anything.”

Baumgartner broke three records during his historic jump over Roswell, N.M.

ABC News:

Aside from being the only man to achieve a supersonic skydive, the extreme athlete also broke two other records, including the highest exit from a platform at 128,000 feet and the highest free-fall without a drogue parachute, which was measured at 119,846 feet.

… Despite the momentous day, there was one record Baumgartner didn’t shatter — the longest elapsed freefall record.

Fifty-two years later, the 4 minute and 36 second record still belongs to Joe Kittinger. The 84-year-old former airforce pilot served as a mentor to Baumgartner and was in contact with him during the jump today.

Read more

— Posted by Tracy Bloom.

 WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

Donate now.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG
In this Article:
#space#video