290-I Jumped From Space (World Record Supersonic Freefall)

The Man Who Fell to Earth. U.S. Air Force Capt. Joseph Kittinger.

On Aug. 16, 1960, then Capt. Kittinger stepped from a balloon-supported gondola at the altitude of 102,800 feet (31,300 meters). In freefall for 4.5 minutes at speeds up to 614 mph and temperatures as low as -94 degrees Fahrenheit, he opened his parachute at 18,000 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo)

I Jumped From Space. Felix Baumgartner.
Felix sought after even greater heights and resolved to break Joseph Kittinger’s (USA) 52-year-old record for the highest freefall parachute jump. With that, Red Bull and Baumgartner’s ultimate challenge was set in motion.

What does it *really* feel like to jump from space? In 2012 Felix Baumgartner took a helium balloon into the stratosphere and skydived back to earth in a specially made space suit. Whilst in freefall he broke the speed of sound and entered a spin which threatened the entire Red Bull Stratos mission… Felix reflects on his achievement and shares what it really felt like to jump from the edge of space.

Most concurrent views for a live event on YouTube. Eight million people watched Felix’s journey to space and descent back to Earth.

The speed of sound is 1,236 km/h (768 mph). During his stratospheric skydive, Felix reached a top speed of 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mph).

Footnote: On Oct. 24, 2014, Google executive Alan Eustace (USA) fell to Earth from 135,898 feet (41,422 meters), and broke Felix’s record for the Highest freefall parachute jump.