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Felix Baumgartner ascended to an altitude of 127,852 feet (39,045 meters)–the edge of space–in a pressurized capsule carried by a helium balloon over Roswell, New Mexico on October 14, 2012 and made a record-breaking descent. Just for reference, this is a height equivalent to 419 Statue of Liberties or 130 Eiffel Towers!
He reached a maximum speed of 834 mph (1,342 kmh). That’s faster than the speed of sound (767 mph at 20°C)! For reference, most commercial airliners travel between 460 and 575 mph (740 and 925 kmh) depending on their altitude.
Capsule & Suit
Capsule & Suit
Here’s a photo of the balloon capsule used on that October 14th flight and the pressure suit that he wore on a flight to 97,145 feet (29,610 meters) on July 25th, which were donated to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The records achieved include maximum speed of descent without a drogue (small parachute used to provide stability); record exit altitude; and the greatest vertical descent without a drogue.
Record-Setting Capsule, Pressure Suit and Parachute from Felix Baumgartner
Just two years after Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump, Alan Eustace broke Baumgartner’s record. See the comparison between the two in this STEM in 30 clip.
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