Austrian daredevil to jump from edge of space

Washington, July 24 (ANI): Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner is preparing for his biggest challenge yet - by jumping 90,000 feet out of a hot air balloon, free falling back to earth - in an attempt to test the limits of the human envelope.

Felix Baumgartner of Austria will go from zero to perhaps 509 mph in 30 seconds when he steps out of his space capsule Tuesday morning.

He hit 365 mph when he jumped from 71,000 feet in March-and he will go supersonic in August when he dives from 120 thousand feet. That's zero to 690 mph in 25 seconds-a human body breaking the sound barrier without an airplane.

Most people go to the edge of space or beyond in a rocket-Baumgartner is going up in a capsule carried aloft by a huge helium balloon.

Most of us would never willingly step out of an airplane to skydive from 3,000 feet. So you have to wonder why Felix Baumgartner does this. He knows the risks and said he accepts the danger. He canceled an attempt Monday morning because of high winds.

"The pressure is huge, and we not only have to endure but excel," ABC News quoted him as saying.

"We're excellently prepared, but it's never going to be a fun day, I'm risking my life, after all," he said.

Red Bull is financing this daredevil skydive from space. The mission is named Stratos.

This daredevil dive from near space is not a first.

Baumgartner will be breaking a 52-year-old record, and he wisely recruited the man who set the record, the legendary Col. Joe Kittinger, for advice.

On August 16, 1960, Kittinger jumped from a balloon at an altitude of 102,900 feet-and fell for almost five minutes before opening a parachute to slow his descent at 18,000 feet.

He made history for the highest balloon ascent, the highest parachute jump, and the fastest speed by a human being through the atmosphere. (ANI)