Tomorrow, Felix Baumgartner, world record base jumper, is scheduled to attempt the highest freefall jump in history by piloting a helium filled balloon to an altitude of 120,000 (yes, 120 THOUSAND) feet and then throwing himself back to earth.
While this probably belongs in the "Cool Stuff", I felt the need to put it here o the blog since it's timely and lifting off in less than 12 hours. Provided weather is good in New Mexico, Baumgartner will take flight at 8AM EST tomorrow morning.
This brings up an interesting thought for me as I try to relate this to my current writing project. I have never parachuted out of a plane or bungee jumped off of a bridge, but both are things that I would like to try. Someone showed me canyon jumping in Eastern Europe (I think) and that looks amazing as well. But I can't quite fathom a jump from over 50 miles up. But what if something like this becomes more commonplace in the way skydiving is today? Is this something that someone who is deaf or blind would be able to attempt? What about someone who could not feel the press of the atmosphere against his suit? | |
Wish Mr. Baumgartner luck as he ventures to the edge of space, where few have gone before him, and none in quite this way.