When I stumbled onto a live feed of a man in a spacesuit ascending into the stratosphere with a helium balloon, preparing to JUMP OUT, I was terrified. Felix Baumgartner’s plan was to break the sound barrier in the thin air 23 miles above the earth and freefall for over four minutes. I felt like I was watching Faces of Death: Live. As he opened the capsule door at 120,000 feet and stood on the edge, I knew this was the most extreme event I had ever witnessed; Mach 1 and spinning wildly it appeared to be the disaster I had been bracing myself for, but he recovered and pulled the ripcord, cruising back to earth with a perfect landing.
I have a deep desire to visit space someday and the atmospheric balloon rise of this event is a personal fantasy. Falling out of space is not something I have any desire ever to do, but I appreciate that someone else does. I also appreciate that Red Bull sponsored this event and transforms their advertising into adventure. This same stunt was attempted in 1960, so it’s not necessarily a demonstration of technological achievement, but it makes for some pretty incredible Reality TV. It is daredevil showmanship and almost impossible to believe that man can break the sound-barrier using only the earth’s gravity. It is now proven.
Congratulations Felix. You are a Hero.
Baumgartner initially struggled with claustrophobia after spending time in the pressurized suit required for the jump, but overcame it with help from a sports psychologist and other specialists.