In a giant leap from more than 38.6 km up, daredevil skydiver and former military parachutist, Felix Baumgartner, shattered the sound barrier while making the highest jump ever — a tumbling, death-defying plunge from a balloon to a safe landing in the New Mexico desert. To give some perspective, 38.6 km is almost four times the height of a cruising passenger airline. He hit Mach 1.24, or 1,342 kmph, according to preliminary data, and became the first man to reach supersonic speed without traveling in a jet or a spacecraft.
He said before the attempt that "part of this entire experience will help make the next pressure suit safer for space tourists and aviators." Former NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao concurred, saying "the technologies that they have developed, pressure suit technologies, I think you are going to see these things incorporated into future pressure suits that are used in spacecraft."
We, at Techkriti'13 team, were humbled just by the experience of watching the video feed. The gap between his crane-assisted liftoff and the smooth parachute landing was filled with curiosity, anxiety and wonderment. Baumgartner's feat would inspire the next generation of space pioneers and we hope that they are as brave as him when facing the unknown. As the man himself said after the jump, "We live to conquer fears and pursue dreams. May our attempts and accomplishments progress humankind."
The video feed - broadcast on a 20-second delay intended to give news stations time to cut away in case tragedy struck - was viewed by more than seven million people on YouTube alone. The risks associated with the jump were tremendous. His blood could have boiled, his lungs could have overinflated, the vessels in his brain could have burst and his eyes could have hemorrhaged. And yes, he could have broken his neck too.
He said before the attempt that "part of this entire experience will help make the next pressure suit safer for space tourists and aviators." Former NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao concurred, saying "the technologies that they have developed, pressure suit technologies, I think you are going to see these things incorporated into future pressure suits that are used in spacecraft."
We, at Techkriti'13 team, were humbled just by the experience of watching the video feed. The gap between his crane-assisted liftoff and the smooth parachute landing was filled with curiosity, anxiety and wonderment. Baumgartner's feat would inspire the next generation of space pioneers and we hope that they are as brave as him when facing the unknown. As the man himself said after the jump, "We live to conquer fears and pursue dreams. May our attempts and accomplishments progress humankind."
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