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Yesterday, Felix Baumgartner successfully skydived from 128,100 feet (24.2 miles, 39 kilometers) above Roswell, New Mexico. In doing so, he now holds three world records: The highest manned balloon flight, the highest skydive free fall, and — as confirmed by a Red Bull spokesperson earlier — the first person to break the speed of sound without mechanical aid.

The exact stats of the jump, as measured by Baumgartner’s on-board equipment (but not yet certified by the FAI governing body), are as follows:

Jump altitude: 128,100 feet (24.2mi, 39km, the middle of the stratosphere)

Free fall distance: 119,846 feet (22.7mi, 36.5km)

Free fall time: 4 minutes 20 seconds

Max velocity: 373 meters per second, or 833.9 mph (1342 kph)

That final tidbit is probably the most exciting, as it was completely unexpected. Baumgartner and his Red Bull Stratos team had hoped to break the sound barrier (Mach), and possibly push towards Mach 1.1, but 834 mph is a full 70 mph faster than that (Mach 1.2). In case you were wondering, the speed of sound at sea level is 340 meters per second, or 761 mph — but the speed of sound varies, depending on air temperature and humidity (sound is just another form of energy, after all). In the stratosphere, the speed of sound is nearer 700 mph, or 313 m/s, thus Baumgartner’s max velocity of Mach 1.2.

For more info on the technology used during the jump, be sure to read our story on the tech used by Red Bull Stratos to keep Felix Baumgartner safe.

Photos and videos of Felix Baumgartner’s stratospheric skydive

And now, it’s time for some jaw-droppingly insane photos and videos from the balloon’s ascent, and Baumgartner’s descent from the edge of space. First, the official, tear-jerking montage, released by Red Bull Stratos this morning:



If you have 15 minutes to spare, I strongly suggest you watch the entire sky dive sequence, from Baumgartner undoing his seat belt — to him landing firmly on Earth. If you can’t decrypt the radio static, Baumgartner’s final words before jumping are:

“I know the whole world is watching now. And I wish the world could see what I can see. Sometimes you have to get up really high to understand how small you really are. I’m going home now.” — Felix Baumgartner

If you only have a couple of minutes to spare, though, you can always watch this 1:350 scale Lego reenactment of the jump:

For a very different point of view, here’s the view from Baumgartner’s helmet camera (the camera is actually situated on his chest, but never mind):

And here are a few very cool photos:

Not a complete success

One high-altitude balloon record is still held by Joe Kittinger, however: Back in 1960 the US Air Force colonel free fell for 4 minutes 35 seconds from an altitude of 108,000 feet, while Baumgartner only managed 4 minutes 20 seconds, despite jumping from 30,000 feet higher. This discrepancy is likely caused by the fact that Baumgartner achieved significantly higher speeds than Kittinger, and so the free fall phase ended quicker than expected.

Baumgartner also isn’t technically eligible for the manned balloon altitude world record, as the governing body stipulates that the balloon must be brought back to Earth by the pilot — while Baumgartner rather recklessly just left the balloon hanging there in the stratosphere. The crazy Austrian will still be credited with the highest ever skydive, though — and assuming the FAI certifies his 834 mph max velocity, he will also get twin world records for the fastest free fall and the first human to break the speed of sound outside of a vehicle.

Finally, here’s a video of Felix Baumgartner talking to some TV cameras after the jump, discussing what it’s like to free fall from the stratosphere — and how he managed to regain control from the “death spin.”

Now read: The tech behind Felix Baumgartner’s stratospheric skydive