Red Bull Stratos, a project five years in the making, will finally try to take flight today. Skydiver Felix Baumgartner will fall from near-space about 23 miles above the Earth’s surface, breaking the speed of sound in the process. He will be the first free-falling human to break the sound barrier. Baumgartner will also collect three other world records: highest manned balloon flight, highest altitude jump (both will be 120,000 feet) and longest time in free fall (about five-and-a-half minutes).
The team’s plan to launch this week has been delayed by windy conditions, but the team hopes today will be the day. Follow our live updates below by refreshing your browser; all times are EST.
1:28PM No heating in his face mask is not a problem in capsule, but “would be an issue upon jumping.” No kidding.
1:25PM Here’ an awesome angrl of Mission Control we haven’t been shown on the live broadcast. That’s a lot of monitors.
1:24PM And we’re told visor heating is still an issue. We still haven’t heard any radio transmissions between Mission Control and the capsule since they were cut when Baumgartner first mentioned issue. Probably not the best way of handling things…
1:22PM So close now. Broadcast makes mention that balloon has traveled higher than calculated float altitude in both test jumps. The jump might actually take place from closer to 130,000 feet if balloon keeps rising.
1:19PM And he’s passed it. Baumgartner now heading for the record for highest manned balloon flight, set in 1961.
1:18PM Baumgartner is closing in on 102,800 feet, the altitude of Joe Kittinger’s record 1960 jump. He apparently made the jump with a slight tear in his suit, which is pretty much insane.
1:14PM The capsule now passing 97,000 feet, Baumgartner’s jump altitude in his July test jump.
1:10PM Baumgartner has two parachutes on his back, his main rig and a reserve chute. He has to be traveling at about 172 miles per hour or slower for them to be deployed safely. The main chute is 270-square-feet and will be deployed at about 5,000 feet above Earth.
1:08PM We’ve got about 30 minutes or so to go. Baumgartner gives the thumbs up from inside the cockpit, so either the face mask heating issue is resolved or our fearless flier is wearing his chapstick. Hoping it’s the former.
1:05PM Capsule now moving at 14 miles per hour. Nearing in on 90,000 feet about an hour and a half in.
http://adf.ly/DbU2k.....shrinked
1:03PM More information about heating: the faceplate heater has not been working properly, and Mission Control/Baumgartner are currently “troubleshooting” the issue. That took long enough.
1:02PM At over 85,000 feet, Baumgartner is higher than pretty much any airplane can travel. We finally get another look inside the cockpit and everything seems okay.
1:00PM We haven’t heard any radio communication from Mission Control since Baumgartner raised an issue about the heater. He didn’t sound too worried, but we’re still in the dark about whether everything is okay. Thankfully temperature will warm up as he goes higher, though “warm” is still below zero.
12:57PM This is actually the third Red Bull Stratos jump, following two test jumps in the last few months. The second jump was from about 97,000 feet. Baumgartner fell for nearly four minutes in freefall, reaching a top speed of 537 miles per hour.
12:55PM Baumgartner will break the speed of sound (about 690 miles per hour at that altitude) in about 30-40 seconds after jumping. Scientists and physicists are actually not sure what will happen then. Some believe there are not enough air particles to cause much of a shock/sonic boom. Others are not so certain.
12:52PM Baumgartner can now see the curvature of the Earth. The balloon is beginning to take on a more rounded shape at this altitude.
12:51PM Everything looks very simple and easygoing, but human beings should not be able to survive here.Check out this piece on Baumgartner’s suit, designed by the David Clark Company, and how it keeps him alive.
12:49PM Wow. Apparently in last test jump Baumgartner couldn’t hear whether his parachute was okay, so he jumped without knowing. Crazy.
12:48PM Baumgartner can’t see behind him because of helmet/suit, so he has a mirror in the capsule and Kittinger will inform him from mission control if parachute is okay.
The team’s plan to launch this week has been delayed by windy conditions, but the team hopes today will be the day. Follow our live updates below by refreshing your browser; all times are EST.
1:28PM No heating in his face mask is not a problem in capsule, but “would be an issue upon jumping.” No kidding.
1:25PM Here’ an awesome angrl of Mission Control we haven’t been shown on the live broadcast. That’s a lot of monitors.
1:24PM And we’re told visor heating is still an issue. We still haven’t heard any radio transmissions between Mission Control and the capsule since they were cut when Baumgartner first mentioned issue. Probably not the best way of handling things…
1:22PM So close now. Broadcast makes mention that balloon has traveled higher than calculated float altitude in both test jumps. The jump might actually take place from closer to 130,000 feet if balloon keeps rising.
1:19PM And he’s passed it. Baumgartner now heading for the record for highest manned balloon flight, set in 1961.
1:18PM Baumgartner is closing in on 102,800 feet, the altitude of Joe Kittinger’s record 1960 jump. He apparently made the jump with a slight tear in his suit, which is pretty much insane.
1:14PM The capsule now passing 97,000 feet, Baumgartner’s jump altitude in his July test jump.
1:10PM Baumgartner has two parachutes on his back, his main rig and a reserve chute. He has to be traveling at about 172 miles per hour or slower for them to be deployed safely. The main chute is 270-square-feet and will be deployed at about 5,000 feet above Earth.
1:08PM We’ve got about 30 minutes or so to go. Baumgartner gives the thumbs up from inside the cockpit, so either the face mask heating issue is resolved or our fearless flier is wearing his chapstick. Hoping it’s the former.
1:05PM Capsule now moving at 14 miles per hour. Nearing in on 90,000 feet about an hour and a half in.
http://adf.ly/DbU2k.....shrinked
1:03PM More information about heating: the faceplate heater has not been working properly, and Mission Control/Baumgartner are currently “troubleshooting” the issue. That took long enough.
1:02PM At over 85,000 feet, Baumgartner is higher than pretty much any airplane can travel. We finally get another look inside the cockpit and everything seems okay.
1:00PM We haven’t heard any radio communication from Mission Control since Baumgartner raised an issue about the heater. He didn’t sound too worried, but we’re still in the dark about whether everything is okay. Thankfully temperature will warm up as he goes higher, though “warm” is still below zero.
12:57PM This is actually the third Red Bull Stratos jump, following two test jumps in the last few months. The second jump was from about 97,000 feet. Baumgartner fell for nearly four minutes in freefall, reaching a top speed of 537 miles per hour.
12:55PM Baumgartner will break the speed of sound (about 690 miles per hour at that altitude) in about 30-40 seconds after jumping. Scientists and physicists are actually not sure what will happen then. Some believe there are not enough air particles to cause much of a shock/sonic boom. Others are not so certain.
12:52PM Baumgartner can now see the curvature of the Earth. The balloon is beginning to take on a more rounded shape at this altitude.
12:51PM Everything looks very simple and easygoing, but human beings should not be able to survive here.Check out this piece on Baumgartner’s suit, designed by the David Clark Company, and how it keeps him alive.
12:49PM Wow. Apparently in last test jump Baumgartner couldn’t hear whether his parachute was okay, so he jumped without knowing. Crazy.
12:48PM Baumgartner can’t see behind him because of helmet/suit, so he has a mirror in the capsule and Kittinger will inform him from mission control if parachute is okay.
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