A new video lets you experience Baumgartner’s terrifying 24-mile free-fall from space.
A new video gives viewers a first person perspective on what daredevil Felix Baumgartner experienced on his historic 24-mile supersonic space jump. The video was released by GoPro, a leading manufacturer of wearable video cameras for the extreme sports industry, and was filmed using seven GoPro video cameras attached to Baumgartner’s balloon and spacesuit. Brief clips of the video were used in a GoPro commercial that aired during this weekend’s Super Bowl XLVIII; but the full, sub-titled video depicts the entire free fall, including a harrowing spin out and recovery, breathtaking views of the earth from 24 miles up, and Baumgartner falling away from the camera at mind-boggling speed.
On October 14th, 2012, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped from a balloon on the edge of space, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier in unpowered free-fall, as well as setting records for the highest manned balloon flight, and the highest altitude parachute jump. The stunt was funded by Red Bull, a company well known for promoting and sponsoring extreme sports and cutting-edge athletes as part of its marketing strategy.
Data from the jump were gathered by various monitors, in the name of advancing scientific knowledge in the area of aerospace travel. Some of the data from these monitors is shown at the bottom of the screen, including Baumgartner’s insanely jacked heart-rate and breathing, his tremendous airspeed, and the mind-numbing speed with which he loses altitude. Communications between Baumgartner and his ground team are also played over the video’s soundtrack, and shown as subtitles. This video may inspire a touch of vertigo, or it may just inspire, but it’s eight minutes of your life well spent.
