While no date has been announced yet for Felix Baumgartner’s attempt at breaking the speed of sound during a 23-mile (120,000 feet) free fall, everyone will be able to watch on television and the web in a hair-raising event sponsored by RedBull. The daring jump date is expected to be announced very soon and set to occur in the western United States desert.
If successful in the extreme sport jump, Baumgartner's much anticipated record-breaking dive from a stratospheric balloon gondola near the edge of space will be the first time a free falling human will reach supersonic speeds at near 700 mph. The accomplishment would rekindle a can-do spirit and bring back some swagger.
Amazingly, Baumgartner is set to have microphones inside the capsule and his helmet pressure suit. The capsule microphones will record sound only as long as there is air to carry the sound waves. Just prior to jumping, Baumgartner will depressurize the balloon capsule, the ambient microphones in the capsule will cease to pick-up sound, but his helmet microphone should record his sounds through the 23-mile dive down and to the ground.
The Red Bull Stratos capsule will be equipped with nine high-definition cameras, three 4K digital cinematography cameras and three high-resolution digital still cameras. The outside cameras are in pressurized housings designed to protect them from the near-vacuum air pressure, ice and extreme heat of the stratospheric conditions. Baumgartner also will carry three small cameras attached to his space suit.
More recent popular media coverage comes from The Guardian and MSNBC on planned high atmospheric jumps. Space divers from new rockets are sure to follow in the years ahead, especially if "Fearless Felix" jumps from 23-miles, survives and celebrates with the world.
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