Felix Baumgartner Is Going to Jump from 22 Miles Above the Earth Today
It's looking like daredevil parachutist Felix Baumgartner will get his chance to attempt to break the record for the highest sky dive ever today and the whole thing is going to be broadcast live on Youtube. Baumgartner came close to attempting the jump on Tuesday, but windy weather stopped him from making the ascent.
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The current launch time is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET. There is a light wind, but the crew is reportedly optimistic the jump will take place.
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Baumgartner is currently suited up and waiting inside the capsule of his custom-made, 55-story hot air balloon. Once the weather is right, he will ascend more than 120,000 feet above the Earth, before jumping out and falling more than 100,000 feet in five-and-a-half minutes. He will become the first human to ever break the sound barrier without the help of a jet airplane.
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Once launch starts, it will take approximately two to three hours for the capsule to reach the optimal altitude for Baumgartner to step out. He explained to the New York Times earlier this week that being stuck inside the capsule for so long is actually the hardest part -- not falling almost 22 miles at break neck speeds.
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You can follow along with the livestream below, or the Red Bull Stratos Twitter feed is constantly updating with pictures and updates from the launch site.
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