Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. GPS News .




SPACE TRAVEL
Austrian daredevil eyes new space jump at weekend
by Staff Writers
Los Angeles (AFP) Oct 10, 2012


An Austrian daredevil hopes to make a new record-breaking attempt to jump from the edge of space Sunday, after his initial launch bid was aborted due to gusting winds, organizers said Wednesday.

Felix Baumgartner was seconds away from lift-off in the US state of New Mexico Tuesday when mission control decided to cancel it because the huge balloon taking him up was buffeted badly, even while still on the ground.

The Red Bull Stratos mission organizers had said shortly afterwards that Thursday could work for a new bid. That was ruled out Wednesday, but a weekend launch is now a definite possibility.

"Everything is looking very good" for Sunday, spokeswoman Sarah Anderson told AFP, while a mission statement said the 43-year-old was getting over his disappointment, and focusing on the next attempt.

The skydiver "was surprised and disappointed that his attempt to become the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall had to be scrapped due to gusts of wind near the top of his 850,000 cubic meters balloon," it said.

But it added: "Weather permitting, the Austrian will likely get another chance to to write history while breaking four world records with his jump from the edge of space on Sunday."

Baumgartner plans to jump from an altitude of 23 miles (36 kilometers) in a pressurized space suit after being taken aloft in a capsule suspended under a giant helium balloon.

He aims to break at least three records: the highest freefall leap; the fastest speed ever achieved by a human; and become the first person to break the sound barrier of around around 690 miles per hour (1,100 kph) in freefall.

Baumgartner has been training for five years for the jump, during which he will be in freefall for some five minutes before opening a parachute at 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) to float back to the ground.

The biggest danger he faces is spinning out of control, which could exert G forces and make him lose consciousness. A controlled dive from the capsule is essential, putting him in a head-down position to increase speed.

Baumgartner has broken several records in the past, notably with spectacular base jumps from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The mission, backed by a 100-strong team of experts, also hopes to contribute to medical and aeronautical research aimed at improving the safety of astronauts.

If and when it does go ahead, the ascent is expected to take between two and three hours. If all goes well, the descent will take about 15 to 20 minutes -- five minutes or so in freefall, and 10 to 15 floating down with his parachute.

Baumgartner has spoken of his disappointment when the first launch was aborted. "When (mission director) Art (Thompson) told me we were aborting the mission I thought it was a joke," he said.

"I want this to happen this year. We've made it so far. There's no turning back," he added. "We're here, we've got the helium and we're good to go. Whether that's tomorrow or the first day next week, I don't really care."

.


Related Links
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








SPACE TRAVEL
Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration
Toronto, Canada (SPX) Oct 10, 2012
An elevator to transport people to the moon, an inflatable habitat for living in space, a sleek new spacesuit for a stroll on Mars: These are some of the fascinating exhibits in Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration. This new exhibition, at the Ontario Science Centre from October 3, 2012, through January 1, 2013, offers a thought-provoking vision of the future of space explo ... read more


SPACE TRAVEL
Struggling N. Ireland farmers get boost

Scientists Use New Method to Help Reduce Piglet Mortality

Unusual genetic structure confers major disease resistance trait in soybean

Unravelled mushroom genome offers many opportunities

SPACE TRAVEL
Organic solar cells with high electric potential for portable electronics

MIT team builds most complex synthetic biology circuit yet

Origin of ultra-fast manipulation of domain walls discovered

Materials scientists prevent wear in production facilities in the electronics industry

SPACE TRAVEL
Chile deploys Israel's RecceLite system

Quickstep moves on Hercules order

Boeing: Boeing Receives $2 Billion C-17 Aircraft Sustainment Contract

Two flights grounded in China after phone threats: airline

SPACE TRAVEL
Tycoon offers Chinese cars for Japanese amid row

China's September auto sales fall on Japan row

Japan's Toyota to recall 7.43 mn vehicles globally

GM says China auto sales hit record in September

SPACE TRAVEL
China exports jump but weakness seen ahead

Argentine mission to seek release of seized ship

Miners' strikes weaken S. African economy

Ghana 'violating intl norms' over ship: Argentina

SPACE TRAVEL
Study finds nearly 50% of retail firewood infested with insects

Northern conifers youngest of the species

Climate change cripples forests

Semi-dwarf trees may enable a green revolution for some forest crop

SPACE TRAVEL
Boeing Releases Updated Geospatial Data Management Tool

First images from e2v imaging sensors on SPOT 6 Earth observation satellite

New Commercial Imaging Spacecraft Progressing at Lockheed Martin as IKONOS Satellite Achieves 13 Years in Operations

SMOS has a better look at salinity

SPACE TRAVEL
Queen's develops new environmentally friendly MOF production method

Drawing a line, with carbon nanotubes

Nano-hillocks: Of mountains and craters

Nanoparticles Glow Through Thick Layer of Tissue




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement