Skydiver Jumps From The Edge of Space

Remember the scene in the new Star Trek movie where Kirk, Sulu and the other guy freefall into the atmosphere to shut off the drill that is trying to reach the core of the planet Vulcan? What if something like that was possible in real life?

While skydiving hasn’t reached the technological advancements necessary to allow people to dive into the Earth’s atmosphere from space, there is always the next best thing; jumping from the Earth’s stratosphere. Evel Knievel, you might want to take notes.

Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian skydiving expert, will jump from 120,000 feet above ground, and attempt to be the first person to break the sound barrier (690mph). He will be aided by the Red Bull Stratos team. The challenge will be to land safely back on the ground.

He’ll be wearing a pressurized suit and helmet that makes it possible for him to deal with the atmospheric changes while falling; however, whether or not his balls can fit in the suit is another problem all together.

This mission is not for the faint of heart, nor is it the first of its kind. Back in 1960, Joseph Kittinger was the first man to jump from nearly 20 miles above the earth. When asked if he hesitated before the jump, Kittinger responded in probably the only way he knew how,

"Hell no, I didn't hesitate. I was happy as hell to go back to a friendly place. Space is a hostile environment."

Kittinger will be on the team aiding Baumgartner. He’ll explain what to expect, give some words of wisdom, and talk to him for as long as he can before Baumgartner reaches 23 miles above Earth. After that, Felix will be all alone diving down into the unknown.

What inspires people to do amazing and yet dangerous things is beyond me, but if they’re going to do it, why not let the world watch? 

If you want to follow the mission and see the day-to-day progress, Red Bull has a free mobile app that you can download to see news updates and little scientific tidbits. You can even keep track of Baumgartner’s pulse, as you’ll be connected to his biometrical data from your smart phone or handset.

Get it here