Austrian prepares for 37-km jump to Earth
9 Oct 2012 12:19 AM GMT
A daredevil Austrian skydiver will attempt on Tuesday what has never been done before – a freefall from 37 km up in space which he hopes will break the sound barrier.
Felix Baumgartner, 43, was pictured Saturday in Roswell, New Mexico, making final preparations with his team after five years of planning and training, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.
Baumgartner went over the technical details in the capsule before sitting solemnly in his trailer, wearing his specially designed, USD 200,000 suit, to gather his thoughts.
His team announced on Friday that the jump had been moved from Monday to Tuesday due to a cold front with gusty winds, the Mail said.
Wearing only a pressurised suit and a parachute, he will pause at the hatch of his tiny capsule as it ascends into the heavens beneath one of the biggest balloons ever made.
No more than 20 minutes later, the world will know whether this audacious Austrian has become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier in the highest, fastest freefall descent in history.
Fearless Felix has been flinging himself out of planes and off skyscrapers for years. He has clocked up 2,500 skydiving jumps, including one in which he became the first person to ‘fly’ across the English Channel, with carbon-fibre wings strapped to his back, according to the Mail.
Felix Baumgartner, 43, was pictured Saturday in Roswell, New Mexico, making final preparations with his team after five years of planning and training, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.
Baumgartner went over the technical details in the capsule before sitting solemnly in his trailer, wearing his specially designed, USD 200,000 suit, to gather his thoughts.
His team announced on Friday that the jump had been moved from Monday to Tuesday due to a cold front with gusty winds, the Mail said.
Wearing only a pressurised suit and a parachute, he will pause at the hatch of his tiny capsule as it ascends into the heavens beneath one of the biggest balloons ever made.
No more than 20 minutes later, the world will know whether this audacious Austrian has become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier in the highest, fastest freefall descent in history.
Fearless Felix has been flinging himself out of planes and off skyscrapers for years. He has clocked up 2,500 skydiving jumps, including one in which he became the first person to ‘fly’ across the English Channel, with carbon-fibre wings strapped to his back, according to the Mail.
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