ITWire

Doesn't seem like much, but 29km up is nearly three times the height at which commercial airlines fly!

In 1960, US Air Force Captain Joe Kittinger (who is serving as an adviser for Baumgartner's Red Bull Stratos mission) set the long-standing record of 31,333 m (102,800 feet), which Baumgartner hopes to break with a leap of 38,100 m (125,000 feet) in the next few weeks.

 

Baumgartner poses with Joe Kittinger and the suit he will wear during his jumps.

Baumgartner is lifted to his jumping position in a specially-designed capsule lifted by a massive helium-filled balloon. Of course he is surrounded by all kinds of protective equipment to insulate him from the extreme conditions and also to provide oxygen.

Free falling for almost 4 minutes, Baumgartner achieved a maximum speed of 863km/hr; he expects to break the sound barrier in the record-breaking attempt. The dare-devil safely parachuted to the ground near Roswell, New Mexico.

A pensive Felix Baumgartner

No human has ever broken the sound barrier without an airframe around them - experts have very little understanding of what effect this might have on the body.  In addition, NASA is following the project very closely as they seek to understand the possible limits imposed by an emergency during any manned rocket ascent.

The capsule (with Baumgartner inside) is held off the ground by a crane as the helium balloon starts its ascent

All photos: Red Bull Content Pool