Felix Baumgartner completes a final test jump in July from 97,145.7 feet. Photo by Red Bull Stratos.
Update: 2:06 p.m. ET | Mission control has aborted Felix Baumgartner's Tuesday attempt to complete the world's highest skydive due to gusty winds, following a five-hour delay.
Felix Baumgartner was attempting to become the first human to fall faster than the speed of sound in a terrifying, record breaking free-fall over Roswell, New Mexico. The plan called for a helium balloon to carry him 23 miles to edge of the Earth's stratosphere. And once at 120,000 feet, to leap headfirst into thin air, attempting the highest, fastest skydive ever attempted.
But high winds proved too dangerous for the fragile balloon, and just before 2 p.m. ET, the balloon was deflated and the Austrian athlete, visibly disappointed, unfastened his helmet and stepped out of the capsule and into his personal trailer that sat waiting for him on the launch pad.
Baumgartner's free-fall would have lasted about 5 minutes and 35 seconds, making him the first person to break the speed of sound as he reached speeds as high as 700 mph. He was expected break three other records at the same time, for highest and fastest free-fall and highest manned balloon flight. He was also expected stay supersonic for nearly a full minute.
The team says the launch will be rescheduled.
The previous height record was set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who jumped from a height of 102,800 feet and was in free-fall for four minutes and 36 seconds, and is now on Baumgartner's support team.
But the dangers are enormous. If his body is not positioned correctly, he could fall into a rapid spin, which could render him unconscious and cause brain and cardiovascular damage. Plus, he faces the risk of ebullism, a condition that could cause the liquid in his body to turn to gas and his blood to literally boil.
A custom spacesuit has been designed to protect him from -70 degree temperatures and low pressure at the extreme altitude and maintain the oxygen and pressure levels he'll need to survive at supersonic speeds.
This graphic describes the space suit and helmet:
And this one describes the capsule and balloon, which is 10 times thinner than a ziplock bag and the size of a 55-story building:
By Tuesday afternoon, his team, which consists of doctors, engineers and weather scientists, had delayed the jump for about four hours due to winds, which could damage the fragile helium balloon.
Baumgartner began skydiving at age 16, and by the 90s, had graduated to base jumping. He has base jumped from the world's tallest building in Taiwan, from the world's tallest bridge in France and from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Image credit: The graphics above show Baumgartner's space suit, helmet and capsule. Images by redbullstratos.com.
