Imagine free falling from 128,100 feet above Earth, at the edge of space, while millions of people watch in terror. Well, that’s what Felix did.
The 43-year-old Austrian daredevil, Felix Baumgartner, shattered the world record for the highest free-fall and was the first man to break the sound barrier. For hours, Felix sat in a small capsule beneath a dangling 55-story balloon and 100 pound space suit getting ready for his most dangerous stunt yet:
Once he reached the altitude of 24 miles above Earth, he unbuckled his seatbelt, stood on the railing, and took one step to commence his four minute free-fall.
“Let me tell you – when I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble. You don’t think about breaking records anymore, you don’t think about gaining scientific data – the only thing that you want is to come back alive,” he stated about his experience.
Plummeting to the earth at 833 mph was tough, especially when “Fearless Felix” was spinning-out-of-control. Eight million people watched this live tumble in both awe and fear. Baumgartner finally was able to change his arms’ positions and stabilize his body into a streamlined dive. He smashed through the sound barrier, and nine minutes he later landed on his feet and threw both his hands up. You could hear that world-wide sigh of relief as onlookers witnessed his safe and successful landing.
This multi-million dollar project was funded by Red Bull and called the “Red Bull Stratos: Mission to the Edge of Space”. The company says that this successful mission has provided instrumental data for high performing parachute systems and new theories about emergency evacuations from space crafts. NASA theorizes that the mission’s findings are going “to benefit future space programs.”
One of Baumgartner’s mentors, Colonel Joe Kittinger, “took the highest step in the world,” in 1960 as a test pilot. He jumped from 102,800 thousand feet in a capsule beaneath a balloon, just like Baumgartner did. He played an important role in the Stratos Mission by sharing his knowledge to improve the execution of the jump and personally guiding Baumgartner in his endeavor; as a “Capcom” (capsule communications), Kittinger served as Baumgartner’s primary point of radio contact during the mission.
After hearing about this act of extreme bravery I asked some Hewitt students their reaction of the project, and if they were given the opportunity to do so, would they free fall from the top of the stratosphere?
Madeline Wilmot ’16, who watched Blaumgartner’s jump live said, “Absolutely not. If rollercoasters scare me I don’t know how I would survive 24 miles above Earth.”
Adrien Gardner, ’16, replied with eagerness, “It was spectacular to see a man break the sound barrier and land on Earth safely! “If I were given the chance to do it, I most definitely would. It would be a once in a lifetime chance and if you do it you are automatically a part of history.”
Lexi Glicksman ’16 opposes this project, saying, “I don’t think it was worth to spend four million dollars on it. There are already so many other space projects, and yes it was amazing, but there are so many other places to invest four million dollars rather than see a guy jump out of a capsule.”
So what is next for record-breaking, daredevil, Felix Baumgartner? Before this stunt, where he captured the world’s attention, this daredevil was nowhere near fame; now he is in the public eye. People prophesize that Baumgartner will most likely stick with his strong partnership with Red Bull; the company, too, has already received a lot of fame for its sponsorship of the mission. Red Bull is expected to collect more revenue this year because of the jump.
Baumgartner, after many months of preparation, has finally earned his title “Fearless Felix” and his place in history for his fearless leap of faith in the name of science.
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