The supersonic skydiver

Felix Baumgartner wants to become the first human to break the sound barrier without the help of an airplane, said Matt Rudd in The Sunday Times (U.K.). To achieve that goal, the Austrian daredevil—famed for jumping from the world’s tallest buildings—will leap out of a helium balloon 23 miles above New Mexico and dive to earth. He’ll be in free fall for five minutes before opening a parachute at 5,000 feet. There are many dangers, but the greatest is that he’ll enter an uncontrollable spin when he hits Mach 1. “Supersonic speed will not destroy you because of air density,” he says with no emotion. “If you start flat spinning, the spin will get faster as you get lower and the air thickens. It will get so fast you won’t be able to stop it anymore. Spinning at 150 rpm, there is only one way your blood can leave your body, and that’s through your eyes.” The truth is, no one really knows what will happen; this is uncharted territory. Baumgartner, 43, admits to fear, but he’ll press ahead. “I don’t have to put myself into danger to be happy,” he says. “But I have to have a challenge. Doing all these jumps [from buildings] wasn’t satisfying anymore. I’ve done everything I can think of. It was time to move on.”

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