Felix Baumgartner will attempt to break the sound barrier with his body (LIVE VIDEO)
Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria lands in the desert during the second manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos in Roswell, New Mexico, USA on July 25, 2012.??Red Bull Stratos is a mission to the edge of space to an altitude of 37.000 meters to break several records including the sound of speed in freefall.
Update– The jump has been delayed again. Red Bull and Baumgartner willl attempt again tomorrow.
Ever thought to yourself "Gosh, I'd really like to attempt to break the sound barrier only using the delicate assemblage that is my body?" No?
Well, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner has—and Red Bull is sponsoring him.
Baumgartner is planning to jump from a pressurized capsule attached to a weather balloon at 120,000 feet (that's about 23 miles) and will then dive to earth, using his BASE jumping expertise to (hopefully) come to a safe and sound landing.
Baumgartner was originally slated to make his perhaps poorly advised leap on Monday, but a cold front slated to move through Eastern New Mexico foiled his plans, according to the Red Bull Stratos website.
Read more from GlobalPost: Fearless Felix Baumgartner skydives from 18 miles
The 43-year-old Austrian has been setting BASE jump records since 1999, and most recently "flew" across the English channel in a special suit with a carbon wing attached to it.
He's already jumped from 18 miles up in a preliminary mission to Tuesday's Big Kahuna, which went swimmingly.
Check out the live feed of his jump:
The current world-record holder for space jumps is United States Air Force Colonel Joseph Kittinger, who jumped to Earth from 102,800 feet in 1960. This was before anyone was sure that Kittinger would survive the feat, and it's this same record that Baumgartner hopes to break.
Baumgartner's feat will not come without its share of danger: National Geographic reports that, among other unpleasantness: his blood could boil, extreme cold could pop the weather balloon he needs to use to ascend, he could go into a potentially deadly spin, and the wind could set him off course—and of course, no one actually knows what a sonic boom does to the human body.
Think you can predict where Baumgartner will land? (Preferably not on anything covered with spikes or a secret military installation. Or a bison). You can submit your guess to Red Bull and can be entered to win fabulous prizes, which translates into Red Bull Stratos merchandise, although that's still pretty cool.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. If you’ve been thinking about making a donation, this is the best time to do it. Your support will get our fundraiser off to a solid start and help keep our newsroom on strong footing. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!