However, ordinary parachuting did not satisfy the growing need for adrenaline, each of his new aerial tricks became cooler than the previous one.
In 1999, he set a world record by skydiving from the Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur. In July 2003, Baumgartner became the first person to fly across the English Channel using a carbon fiber wing. Felix also set the world record for the lowest base jumping jump when he jumped 29 meters off the arm of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. In December 2007, he became the first person to jump from the 90th floor (approximately 390 meters high) of the tallest building in the world at that time, Taipei 101 in Taiwan. And these are just the most famous tricks of the restless Austrian, each of which could cost him his life.
The nickname "adrenaline addict" given to the extreme by the press irritates the athlete. "I'm just a person who loves a challenge," he said.
In 2010, Felix Baumgartner got involved in perhaps the most risky adventure of his life and began to prepare for.
Record holder from Vietnamese captivity
The project almost died in October of that year when Daniel Hogan filed a lawsuit in the California Supreme Court, complaining that the company sponsoring the jump stole his idea for a jump from the stratosphere. Preparations for a risky stunt began again only in June 2011.
One of the project leaders was the 84-year-old Retired US Air Force Colonel Joseph Kittinger, which, in fact, owned the previous record.
On August 16, 1960, as part of Project Excelsior, Kittinger jumped from a height of 31,300 meters and became one of the few people who did not cost their lives. It should be noted, however, that Kittinger's jump was not entirely clean, for from the very beginning of the jump he used a drag chute to stabilize himself.
In contrast, the Soviet parachutist Yevgeny Andreev on November 1, 1962 jumped from a height of 25,500 meters and spent 24,500 meters in free fall without any braking parachute, reaching a speed of 900 km per hour.
Already after his record jump, Kittinger on the Phantom took part in the Vietnam War, where he exactly repeated the fate of the hero of the famous song in Russia - his plane was shot down by the Soviet MIG-21, and Kittinger himself was captured.
But all this is in the distant past, and now Colonel Kittinger was eager to prepare a man who would surpass his result.
Special training for the envy of astronauts
The preparation of both Baumgartner himself and the apparatus that was supposed to deliver him to a record height was in no way inferior in the complexity of preparing for a space flight.
The height from which the jump was planned, in terms of its conditions, does not differ much from space itself - rarefied air and icy cold.
A whole group of doctors and fitness trainers worked with Baumgartner, preparing him for the most difficult overloads. In addition to this, Felix was prescribed a special diet to prevent the occurrence of complications associated with the work of the stomach.
Baumgartner's suit was so stuffed with all sorts of sensors and technical devices that the experts themselves said: we can control Felix as if he were an airplane. But neither the miracle suit nor the unique hermetic gondola that lifted Baumgartner could guarantee success. The monstrous overloads that a fall from such a height with great speed causes could at any moment lead to the death of an athlete.
This jump was not a record for the sake of a record - the information received will be used to save pilots and astronauts at exorbitant heights. By the way, John Clark led the medical part of the record jump project, his wife Lauren was one of the crew members of the Columbia spacecraft, which fell apart at high altitude in 2003.
In March 2012, Felix Baumgartner made a test jump from a height of 21,818 meters. In July 2012, the Austrian was already able to jump from 29,460 meters. It's time for the decisive jump.
On October 9, the launch of the gondola failed due to weather problems. On October 11, meteorologists again did not give the go-ahead. Unfavorable weather conditions threatened to make the already super-risk flight suicidal.
Homecoming
Finally, on October 14, a sealed fiberglass capsule with a steel frame with a total weight of 1400 kg, lifted by a helium-filled balloon of 850,000 cubic meters, rushed up.
Initially, Baumgartner's jump was planned from a height of 37 km, but at this point it was not possible to stabilize the state of the capsule, it was necessary to raise it even higher. As a result, the gondola came to the right position for the jump only at an altitude of 39,012 m. It took the extreme sportsman 2 hours and 16 minutes to get there. For 15 minutes, the record holder gathered his courage, it seems, for the first time realizing what exactly he decided on.
However, then the hatch of the capsule opened, Felix Baumgartner said: "I'm going home." And stepped into the abyss.
Spectators watching the jump live, did not know that they were seeing a picture with a 20-second delay. No one was supposed to see the death of the hero, and it could come very quickly. Baumgartner was so swirled that he, according to him, did not even understand how to take control of the situation. Nevertheless, experience helped Felix, and he evened out the situation.
“I didn’t think about records, I only thought that I want to come back alive. I thought about my family, about my girlfriend,” Baumgartner honestly admitted after landing. Indeed, in the fall, the extreme was not up to thoughts about the record - according to his confession, he did not even notice that he had overcome the sound barrier, becoming the first person to do this not on an aircraft. Felix reached a speed of 1348 km per hour in the fall, which is 123 km higher than the speed of sound.
When the parachute opened and Baumgartner made a soft landing, the whole team, including the now former record holder Kittinger, greeted his success with a standing ovation. And Felix himself, kneeling down, thanked God that everything worked out.
Will the adventurer calm down?
Felix's family and friends watched the jump in real time from the center in charge of the flight. One can only guess what the bride and mother of the Austrian experienced when they saw that the jump went in an abnormal mode. However, the mother of the record holder simply burst into tears after a safe landing, and the bride Nicole admitted that she experienced an incredible investment when she saw her betrothed alive and well.
Baumgartner says that now he will only be a mentor to others, like his friend and teacher Kittinger. But restless Felix's family should not relax - because now he wants to become a mountain rescuer.
Yesterday, October 14, the Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner made a long jump from a height of 38 km. To carry out this risky jump, a skydiver climbed in a capsule attached to a balloon into the stratosphere to an unprecedented height, setting a world record. After jumping down, he free-falled for over four minutes and broke the sound barrier, breaking the speed record. At an altitude of 7 km, Felix opened his parachute and landed safely on Earth.
It is worth saying that if Baumgartner failed to stabilize the position of the body during the fall, he could lose consciousness and not open the parachute. It was also unknown how the human body would react to the overcoming of his body of supersonic speed. Baumgartner had been preparing for his jump for five years.
(Total 22 photos + 1 video)
1. Baumgartner leaves the capsule in which he sat waiting to rise, October 9, 2012. The mission was postponed due to strong winds. (Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool/Handout/Reuters)
2. Baumgartner enters the stratospheric capsule on October 9, 2012. (Joerg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images) #
3. Felix Baumgartner at the launch pad in New Mexico on October 9, 2012. (Joerg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images) #
4. Felix Baumgartner stands on the airfield after a failed flight October 9, 2012 (Red Bull Stratos via Getty Images)
5. Baumgartner prepares for a historic flight, October 14, 2012. (Jorg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images) #
6. Baumgartner leaves the trailer and heads to the capsule to make a lift into space, October 14, 2012. (Balazs Gardi/AFP/Getty Images)
7. Baumgartner sits in his trailer before flying on October 14, 2012. (Jorg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images) #
8. Stratostat with a capsule in which Baumgartner went up into space. New Mexico, October 14, 2012. (Predrag Vuckovic/AFP/Getty Images) #
9. Felix Baumgartner climbs into the capsule before lifting into the stratosphere, October 14, 2012. (Balazs Gardi/AFP/Getty Images)
10. An image of Baumgartner is broadcast on a large screen at the mission control center in Roswell, New Mexico, USA, October 14, 2012. (Stefan Aufschnaiter/AFP/Getty Images) #
11. Capsule for lifting into the stratosphere, Roswell, New Mexico. (Joerg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images)
12. The capsule in which Baumgartner is to rise into space is waiting for its pilot, Roswell, October 9, 2912 (Joerg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images)
13. Baumgartner exits the trailer to board the stratostat on October 9, 2012. (Joerg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images) #
14. Baumgartner prepares to fly October 6, 2012 (Red Bull Stratos/Balazs Gardi/Handout/Reuters)
15. Baumgartner prepares to fly October 6, 2012 (Red Bull Stratos/Balazs Gardi/Handout/Reuters)
16. Baumgartner inspects his capsule, Roswell, October 9, 2012. (Joerg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images) #
17. Felix Baumgartner inspects his capsule, Roswell, October 9, 2012 (Joerg Mitter/AFP/Getty Images)20. Test of a stratosphere balloon that will take Baumgartner into space, July 25, 2012. (Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull via Getty Images)
21. Baumgartner prepares to fly October 6, 2012. (Red Bull Stratos/Balazs Gardi/Handout/Reuters)
22. Felix Baumgartner sits in a stratospheric capsule on October 5, 2012. (Balazs Gardi/AFP/Getty Images) #
Felix Baumgartner(Felix Baumgartner) - Austrian skydiver, made a successful jump from a height of 39 km.
The entire world watched the Red Bull Stratos mission live on a webcast. How Felix Baumgartner committed a protracted jump from the stratosphere, broke the speed of sound and landed safely near Roswell, New Mexico after 4 minutes 19 seconds of free fall, reaching a top speed of 1342 km/h.
(30 photos + video of a jump from the stratosphere)
Felix Baumgartner became the first person in the world to jump from such a height and break the sound barrier in free fall, being out of technology. 
During the mission, Baumgartner set three world records: maximum speed during freefall, the highest freefall and the highest manned balloon flight. 
A huge balloon filled with helium lifted the capsule with the parachutist into the stratosphere. Balloon made of durable material, the area of which is almost 15 football fields. (Photo by Red Bull) 
Austrian Felix Baumgartner went to this jump all his life. He loves heights and has always dreamed of skydiving from great heights. As a child, he loved to climb trees, climbing to the very top. (Photo by Red Bull) 
Felix began skydiving at the age of 16, and by the age of 43 he became a famous skydiver, nicknamed "Fearless Felix." (Photo by Red Bull) 
A balloon filled with helium to fly to the edge of space to overcome the speed of sound in free fall, in Roswell, New Mexico, USA on October 14, 2012. (Photo by Red Bull) 
The capsule containing the Austrian Felix Baumgartner, during a flight into the stratosphere at a height of 39 km. (Photo by Red Bull) 
Austrian extreme sportsman Felix Baumgartner protective suit. (Photo by Red Bull) 
The jump was originally scheduled for Tuesday October 9, 2012, but strong winds picked up in Roswell, New Mexico, where the launch of the stratosphere balloon was to take place, and the launch had to be postponed at the last moment. (Photo by Red Bull) 
On Sunday, October 14, 2012, the 2nd attempt to jump from the stratosphere took place. (Photo by Red Bull) 
The stratostat was launched from Roswell Air Force Base in the United States, New Mexico. (Photo by Red Bull) 
Felix Baumgartner walks towards the capsule in Roswell, New Mexico, USA on October 14, 2012. (Photo by Red Bull) 
On Sunday, October 14, Baumgartner's capsule took off at 11:31 AM EST in Roswell, New Mexico. (Photo by Red Bull) 
It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to climb to a height of 39,000 meters. (Photo by Red Bull) 
It was planned that the 43-year-old Felix would rise to a height of about 37 kilometers, but the Austrian exceeded the expected milestone by 2 kilometers. 
Mission control during a manned flight to the stratosphere of the Red Bull Stratos mission. October 14, 2012. (Photo by Reuters) 
Felix the Fearless leaves the capsule at an altitude of 39 km and prepares to jump. (Photo by Reuters) 
Felix before the jump from the stratosphere, at that moment 8 million people watched the live broadcast. (Photo by Red Bull) 
As he jumped out of the stratosphere, Baumgartner said, "The whole world is watching." (Photo by Reuters) 
He became the first person in the world to overcome the speed of sound, being out of technology. In free fall, he reached incredible speed 1342.8 km / h before slowing down and opening the parachute. (Photo by Reuters) 
Felix Baumgartner: "Sometimes you have to climb very high to realize how insignificant you yourself are." (Photo by Reuters) 
Felix landed safely by parachute in the New Mexico desert. The free fall of the stratonaut lasted 4 minutes 19 seconds. (Photo by Reuters) 
Although he landed firmly on both feet, he dropped to both knees in joy and raised his hands in the air. 
Felix almost did not feel the passage of the supersonic barrier. Only for a few moments came the sensation of loss of consciousness. The total cost of the project to organize a jump from the stratosphere was about 50 million dollars. 
During the flight, Felix was strongly twisted and if the record holder had not managed to stabilize the position of the body during the fall, he could lose consciousness and die. It was also not known how the human body would react to overcoming supersonic speed. But the Austrian parachutist Felich Baumgartner took a chance and fulfilled his dream by jumping from a stratoswere from a height of 39,000 meters, overcoming the speed of sound and landing safely. 
see also latest photos in high definition
HD video jump from the stratosphere.
His leap from the stratosphere
An Austrian extreme skydiver jumped from a height of 39 kilometers and became the first person to overcome the speed of sound in free fall. “That's it, I'm going home” - these were Baumgartner's last words before a crazy jump from the stratosphere, thanks to which the athlete set three world records at once: the record for the highest height that a person has ever climbed on a stratosphere balloon, the highest parachute jump and the fastest free fall.
Why did Felix name his company "502"?
By winning the International BASE Jumping Championship in 1991, Baumgartner became the 502nd person to be recognized by the American BASE Jumping Association. This is how the nickname of the skydiver B.A.S.E. 502, which later became the name of his own brand.
Mutually beneficial project
According to the Austrian media, the jump from the stratosphere brought Felix Baumgartner not only worldwide fame and an incredible burst of adrenaline, but also a substantial profit of 10 million euros. It was this fee that was provided by the Austrian company Red Bull for a phenomenal jump from the stratosphere. Red Bull did not confirm this information to the media. Be that as it may, the joint project between Baumgartner and Red Bull turned out to be very mutually beneficial. It took 50 million euros to prepare the entire project - an investment that paid off in the shortest time. According to Eurobrand, thanks to the jump from the stratosphere, the value of the Red Bull brand has increased from 14 to 17 billion euros.
Baumragtner in court
Shortly after the jump from the stratosphere, the skydiver appeared in court on charges of injuring a Greek trucker during an argument on the road. The court did not accept the record holder's version of self-defense, found him guilty and ordered the extreme athlete to pay material damage in the amount of one and a half thousand euros.
space conqueror
Felix Baumgartner is reluctant to share his plans for the future. Many considered the jump from the stratosphere as the end of Baumgartner's career, after all, the athlete himself said: "In skydiving, I achieved everything that I wanted to achieve." Back in December 2012, many Austrian publications reported on the down-to-earth plans of the extreme sportsman to become a mountain rescuer in Switzerland and devote himself to calm family life. But it seems that the constant search for new sensations and the thirst for adrenaline have taken their toll and Baumgartner is not averse to flying to the moon. The Austrian is convinced that the future belongs to space tourism, which requires intensive development and financial support. In an interview, he optimistically stated: “Perhaps a person will appear who will tell me: “Listen, I will finance this for you.”
Felix Baumgartner
Skydiving with right hand statues of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
Felix Baumgartner world record:
the lowest jump in base jumping (height 29 meters)
The most unusual presentation of the book. "In the air, I feel at home." F. Baumgartner
One of Felix Baumgartner's many jumps
In Oman
Felix Baumgartner became the first person in history to fly across the English Channel without the help of a motor. Attached to the back of the carbon wing became his only "vehicle".
Felix Baumgartner video. Leap from the stratosphere 2012.
Special thanks to Felix Baumgartner's company "502" for the materials provided.
A person can jump from a height very close to space. This was proved by the Austrian Felix Baumgartner. Its free fall began almost 40 kilometers from the Earth. For a while he flew, overtaking the sound.
Stepping into the abyss, the Austrian Felix Baumgartner seemed to have passed into another dimension. After 20 seconds, he was falling at the speed of a jet plane, and after 48, Felix for the first time in the history of mankind, without any mechanical means, overcame the speed of sound.
Immediately afterwards, the cameras showed that Baumgartner began to spin erratically. This is exactly what was most feared before the jump - in a rarefied atmosphere, there is no way to lean on the air flow and align your body. G-forces from rotation can reach monstrous magnitudes - in the past, several daredevils have died jumping in the stratosphere.
"There is practically no atmosphere there. The density of the atmosphere there is approximately 100, and maybe even more times less than the density at the level of the Earth's surface. Falling from such a height, a person will pick up a speed of 330 meters per second in 35-40 seconds," - explains Ernst Kalyazin, Professor of the Space Systems and Rocket Engineering Department of the Moscow Aviation Institute.
More than a minute has passed since the start of the jump, but there is no connection with Baumgartner. He is in a deadly environment, from which he is separated by a thin wall of a special suit. At the beginning of the jump, he must save the skydiver from the stratospheric cold, then from the heat that is released due to the friction of the suit against the air. But the most important thing is that until now no one knew what a person would feel when breaking the sound barrier.
Relatives and colleagues could only hope for the vast experience of the world's most famous skydiver, which in English means "diving into the sky." 43-year-old Felix Baumgartner has been going to this record for many years. On account of his many dangerous parachute jumps, including from the most famous skyscrapers and monuments.
But the descent from the upper stratosphere is something special, it is also called a jump from near space. And after 1 minute 30 seconds from the beginning of the fall, Baumgartner got in touch.
Here is how he himself describes his feelings in the first seconds of this crazy fall: “I suddenly began to spin faster and faster. And I tried to stop it: I extended one arm - it didn’t work. Then the other arm. But any movement is delayed there, because on such speed, in this suit it is impossible to predict what will happen next."
Baumgartner had a brake chute release button and says he hesitated for a few seconds whether to slow down or go for the record. A similar choice only 52 years ago was pilot Joe Kittenger. It was he who first dived from a height of more than 31 kilometers. Then he chose to open the braking parachute. And now, at 84, he acts as a technical consultant to Baumgartner and helps Felix beat his own record.
This start has been postponed many times. The wind made it impossible to deploy a giant, 55-story high stratospheric dome. And when, finally, the apparatus rose to 39 kilometers, the whole world froze in anticipation.
"I stood on the edge and thought: how great it would be if everyone who is watching me now saw what I see. Sometimes you need to climb so high to understand how small you are," skydiver Felix shared his impressions Baumgartner.
In the USSR in 1962, two years after Joe Kittenger, there were also attempts to storm the stratosphere. Skydiver Evgeny Andreev successfully jumped from 25 kilometers, and his partner Pyotr Dolgov followed and died due to a microcrack in his spacesuit. But the women's world record for jumping from the stratosphere since 1977 and still belongs to Muscovite Elvira Fomicheva - almost 15 kilometers of free fall.
"The jump is very difficult. After 12 thousand it's hard. Firstly, it is connected with the airless space. The body begins to burst and the total load is very large," says world record holder Elvira Fomicheva.
Is there any practical meaning in such records - Felix Baumgartner is now ready to look for the answer to this question only on Earth. He promised his beloved that this jump would be the last, and who knows if his record will last another 50 years.
