Click here to watch: Felix Baumgartner Jump Video on YouTube, Recorded Video of Freefall from Space
RedBull Stratos is now scheduled for the earliest possible launch this Sunday October 14th. Felix Baumgartner plans to jump from 120,000 feet and skydive back to earth, aiming to be the first human to break the speed of sound in freefall.
The speed of sound is 690 miles per hour, also known as Mach 1. Only at extremely high altitudes where the air is thin is it possible for Baumgartner to accelerate to such speeds.
Baumgartner will however be facing numerous hazards in this jump, including "temperatures well below freezing, too little oxygen to breathe, the tendency to spin uncontrollably and air pressure so low that without protection blood is said to "boil" with vapor bubbles," according to the RedBull Stratos website.
In order for the launch to take place this Sunday, winds should not exceed 2 miles per hour from ground level through to several hundred feet in altitude. Meteorologist Don Day has the difficult task of analyzing weather patterns and will be looking for optimum weather for the launch. Any gust of wind could cause even the balloon to tear or the crane which launches the capsule to tip.
