Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped from a helium balloon-tethered capsule 24 miles above the earth in an attempt to break the speed of sound. It was mission accomplished!
The daredevil landed on his feet as he hit the ground after free falling for 4 minutes and 22 seconds at an estimated speed of nearly 800 mph before his parachute deployed and brought him safely to the desert floor in Roswell, New Mexico.
The free fall record still belongs to Col. Joe Kittinger, who made the jump in 1960 and fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 614 mph before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet.
The 84-year-old record holder mentored Baumgartner during his five year preparation and spoke directly with the Austrian from his vantage point 128,000 feet over southeastern New Mexico, leading him through a 40-step checklist that included opening the hatch, disconnecting from the capsule, and climbing out onto a perch so that the back of his parachute could be observed by Mission Control.
Kittinger’s parting words to Baumgartner were, “Guardian angels will take care of you.” Felix responded, “The whole world is watching now.”
Check out the video below:
Photos: Twitter-Felix Baumgartner