Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner wants to attempt a record-breaking free fall from 120,000 feet above the Earth. It's not the kind of jump a person can do with a conventional sky-diving suit and helmet. After all, Baumgartner will break the speed of sound during his fall. He will need life-support.
To that end, the space equipment manufacturer David Clark Company developed a special pressurized suit and helmet for Baumgartner that provides an artificial atmosphere as well as providing insulation against fire and extreme cold.. There's a nice article in the Engineer here.
The suit will protect Baumgartner from:
- temperatures as cold as -68.8 degrees Fahrenheit
- little oxygen
- no pressure
Baumgartner will reach the high altitude by way of a capsule suspended from a helium-filled balloon.
The video below gives a great explanation and also shows an animation of the capsule and balloon reaching the stratosphere.
Photo: Screen shot from video
Way cool.
Tags: Adventure Sports, Air Sports, Future Aviation, Space Technology
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