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"Felix Baumgartner, 42, hopes to break an altitude record which has lasted more than 50 years."
Skydiver Prepares for 23 Miles Jump
Seeded on Sun Feb 5, 2012 11:27 PM EST
Article Source: the Mail online- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (6)
This is almost unbelievable. It seems extremely dangerous. Felix Baumgartner is definitely more of a risk taker than me to attempt to skydive 23 miles!
Below is a link to another article about this planned jump.
- 2 votes
#1 - Sun Feb 5, 2012 11:32 PM ESTI don't really see the big deal either way with this. The prime factor to me in this jump is really the extent of the atmosphere at the time of the jump. I am not sure if that was even recorded when the original record was accomplished. The altitude that the jump is made at is really immaterial.
It is also a reason why there are no real flight ceiling limits based on altitude for military planes, as the actual ceiling will vary somewhat depending on atmospheric conditions. The trick is to keep the plane between the stall speed and the maximum speed. The higher you go, the closer those two points are. The exact point where those two performance points meet up though will vary.
It's the same thing here.
- 2 votes
don't really see the big deal either way with this.
Jonathan-1917156,
You may be right. But it seems like a major thing to me. To fall that far, that fast, in an atmosphere with limited oxygen, etc., is impressive. Timing the opening of the parachute would seem difficult, too.
You seem knowledgeable about conditions. Were you a military pilot? Is there significance to jumping from a balloon versus an aircraft?
- 1 vote
HALO jumps are performed frequently, and the limited oxygen is just as prevalent at 20,000 feet as it is from 23 miles. The only real difference is that you need a pressure suite at 23 miles instead of just an air tank. A pressure suit at that altitude can actually be pretty light weight and doesn't really need to give you much mobility. In addition, the suit would have the option for 'flaps' that would ensure that your velocity doesn't continuously accelerate (think what some tree hopping creatures have, same thing) to a point where the chute when it opens will be ripped apart.
Again, not really all that big of a deal. Dangerous, yes, but a HALO jump is also more dangerous than a regular jump.
To be honest, I don't really see the point. It is just trying to break a record for the sake of breaking a record. Who cares?
- 1 vote
Jonathan-1917156, thanks for the additional information.
It is just trying to break a record for the sake of breaking a record.
That seems to be his motive, And he has also broken some other records, as the article noted.
- 1 vote
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