Skydiving from the edge of space
A series of amazing photos released by the Red Bull Stratos project shows a skydiver's 13-mile leap.Austrian adventurer Felix Baumgartner is hoping to make the world's highest skydive. As a practice run, he leaped from a custom built capsule at an altitude of 71,581 feet (21,818 meters), marking his personal highest-jump ever.
At the edge of space, with virtually no atmosphere, the pressurised suit and oxygen are vital as he contemplates the view from the capsule attached to his 100ft helium balloon. He plans to try a world record jump from 23 miles above the Earth. The record for the highest free fall is held by Joe Kittinger, a retired Air Force officer from Florida. He jumped from 102,800 feet - 19.5 miles - in 1960.
Mr Baumgartner did a practice version over Roswell, New Mexico.About eight minutes after he leaped, the skydiver landed roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Roswell, N.M., where his capsule had been carried aloft by a balloon.
At the edge of space, with virtually no atmosphere, the pressurised suit and oxygen are vital as he contemplates the view from the capsule attached to his 100ft helium balloon. He plans to try a world record jump from 23 miles above the Earth. The record for the highest free fall is held by Joe Kittinger, a retired Air Force officer from Florida. He jumped from 102,800 feet - 19.5 miles - in 1960.
Mr Baumgartner did a practice version over Roswell, New Mexico.About eight minutes after he leaped, the skydiver landed roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Roswell, N.M., where his capsule had been carried aloft by a balloon.
