Baumgartner’s Stratospheric Odyssey 

By Meheru Alaspure

“Sometimes you have to go up to understand how small you are. I’m coming home now.” – Felix Baumgartner (Howorth, 2022) 

It took us 38. 969 ����, a team of aerospace engineers and medical professionals, a balloon thinner than your sandwich wrapper, and an Austrian daredevil to break the sound barrier and become supersonic. On October 14th, 2012, Felix Baumgartner jumped from space and this is how he did it. Before I dive into the riveting details and mind-bending facts that are often taglined with Felix Baumgartner’s name, it is important that we define space. While the jump altitude was defined as the edge of space, critics do what they do best, argue. According to guidelines set by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, Space–the black void of vacuum that is boundless yet somehow isotropic in all directions–is scientifically accepted to be the Kármán line at100 ����, or nearly 3 times the 

Figure A height of the project’s jump altitude (Rice, 2012). Baugarttner’s jump (National Post, 2013)

So in technicalities, his jump was stratospheric. And supersonic. Baumgartner’s mission, synonymous with the Red Bull Stratos project, was an amalgamation of rigorous scientific inquiry, cutting-edge aeronautical engineering, and meticulous physiological research. The endeavor sought to discover the effects of supersonic acceleration on the human body, glean data for future high-altitude jumps, and push the boundaries of aerospace medicine. The preparation spanned half a decade, involving an elite cohort of engineers, medical experts, and former NASA personnel, all striving to fortify Baumgartner against the perils of the descent. On October 14th, Baumgartner ascended to an altitude of approximately 39 ���� above New Mexico in a helium balloon. He then jumped from the capsule, reaching a top speed of 1, 357. 64 ����/ℎ (843. 6 ����ℎ), or Mach 1.25, during his freefall (Amos, 2012). The jump was live-streamed on the internet and through 77 broadcasters, with an audience of 8 million on youtube alone. 

His jump not only broke the sound barrier but also set records for the highest exit altitude and the longest vertical freefall distance without a drogue parachute. The project originally intended to take about 2 years but due to legalities and a plagiarism court case, it was about 6 years in the making. 

“We thought, we’re going to build the capsule, build the pressure suit, practice for a while, and then we go all the way up to the stratosphere and come back to Earth at supersonic speed,” – Felix Baumgartner (Howorth, 2022)

Joseph Kittinger, the previous record holder for the highest jump, served as Baumgartner’s mentor and capsule communicator. He guided Baumgartner through the ascent and jump, providing crucial support during the mission.

The question arises, if I had a few 10 million dollars and wanted to jump from space, where do I start? The risks of jumping from such an altitude are monumental. But the first challenge is getting there. ATA Aerospace manufactured a balloon the size of 33 football pitches from high-performance polyethylene film that was 0. 02 ���� thick (Cardinal, 2012). To put this into perspective, this material was about 10 times thinner than a typical plastic sandwich bag (Wall, 2012). His capsule was suspended from this balloon. The Stratos space capsule was designed to maintain pressure throughout Baumgartner’s 3-hour-long ascent to 36. 576 ����. 

The craft itself was built with a plethora of safety features. Including Baumgartner’s weight, the 2, 900 ������ capsule had a built-in parachute in case he couldn’t get out or had to abort the jump (Mosher, 2012). Much like James Cameron’s deep-sea submersible—though with considerably less water pressure and way more sky—the Stratos capsule featured a pressure sphere. But instead of Cameron’s four-foot metal version, Baumgartner got a roomier six-foot sphere made of fiberglass and epoxy. Similar to a race car cockpit, the sphere was encased in a sturdy cage of chromium-molybdenum (chromoly steel) tubing (Cardinal, 2012), ensuring Baumgartner wouldn’t experience an impromptu game of capsule origami under pressure. 

Debatably the hardest level of this video game titled “I am jumping from space” is “How do I not boil”. Beyond the vertiginous height, the atmospheric pressure at that altitude is a mere fraction of sea-level conditions, rendering unprotected human exposure fatal within seconds. On the other hand, temperatures plummeted to − 70. 9°�� (− 95. 62°��), and Baumgartner’s suit needed to provide thermal insulation as well as protection from decompression sickness, commonly known as “the bends.” 

To mitigate the risk of suit failure above theArmstrong limit, Figure B the team relied heavily on the design and functionality of Felix Baumgartner’s The path of the jump pressurized suit made by the David Clark Company. This high-tech exoskeleton (National Post, 2013) was crucial for preventing ebullism (Mott, 2012), a rather dramatic phenomenon where bodily fluids begin to vaporize due to the near-nonexistent atmospheric pressure. Although the suit tended to inflate more at higher altitudes (BBC, 2012), restricting movement, it was engineered to withstand extreme pressure changes while ensuring Baumgartner remained safe in one of the most hostile environments a human had ever attempted to traverse. Baumgartner did struggle with claustrophobia due to the suit’s restrictive nature, which made breathing difficult and limited his movements (BBC, 2012). To overcome these challenges, he worked with sports psychologists and underwent hypnotherapy to build mental tolerance (Redbull, 2012). Baumgartner also spent hours in the suit to acclimate himself, gradually increasing his comfort level over time (Mejendie, 2022).

But what the team could not prevent was the violent spin. Baumgartner began spinning violently during the initial phase of his descent, reaching speeds of up to 60 revolutions per minute. This type of spin is extremely hazardous and can cause loss of consciousness due to centrifugal forces (Paone, 2022). The spin was triggered by the lack of atmospheric resistance at such high altitudes, where air is too thin to stabilize the body naturally. Baumgartner regained control using techniques he had rigorously practiced during training (Zax, 2012). By adjusting his body position and strategically extending his arms and legs, he counteracted the spin and gradually stabilized himself. The suit was built with flexibility and maneuverability, it allowed him to shift positions as needed because when free-falling from the stratosphere, being able to stop an accidental high-speed pirouette is more than just a nice bonus. He also had momentarily almost aborted the dive because his helmet visor fogged up (BBC, 2012). 

During his 260-second free fall, he experienced a brief period of supersonic flight for about 30 ��������������, breaking the sound barrier. The sound barrier is not a physical bulwark, it is the speed at which sound travels. Felix didn’t particularly feel being supersonic, the suit muted all that. His triumphant landing in the arid New Mexico desert was met with a global exhale. 

“…the only thing you want is to come back alive.” 

– Felix Baumgartner (Amos, 2012) 

Beyond its breathtaking spectacle, the Red Bull Stratos mission yielded profound scientific insights. Aerospace agencies, including NASA, meticulously analyzed the data collected, refining next-generation pressurized suits and emergency bailout protocols for astronauts and high-altitude pilots. The mission provided unexpected insights into the transonic drag coefficient, which was found to be only 19% of the expected value during Baumgartner’s supersonic descent (Guerster, 2017). Baumgartner’s feat underscored the symbiosis between human courage and technological prowess, illuminating pathways for future spacefaring endeavors. 

References 

Amos, Jonathan. “Skydiver Felix Baumgartner Breaks Sound Barrier.” BBC News, BBC, 14 Oct. 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19943590. 

Cardinal, David. “The Tech behind Felix Baumgartner’s Stratospheric Skydive.” ExtremeTech, 14 Oct. 2012, 

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/137521-the-tech-behind-felix-baumgartners-stratospheric-skydiv e. 

“Felix Baumgartner Actually Went Faster than Everyone Thought | National Post.” National Post, National Post, 5 Feb. 2013, 

nationalpost.com/news/supersonic-skydiver-felix-baumgartner-actually-went-faster-than-everyon e-thought. 

Guerster, Markus, and Ulrich Walter. “Aerodynamics of a Highly Irregular Body at Transonic Speeds-Analysis of Stratos Flight Data.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 7 Dec. 2017, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0187798.

Howorth, Alasdair. “Felix Baumgartner: 10 Years on, the Man Who Fell to Earth Is Still Awed by Experience.” CNN, Cable News Network, 14 Oct. 2022, 

edition.cnn.com/2022/10/14/sport/felix-baumgartner-red-bull-sky-dive-spt-intl/index.html. 

Majendie, Matt. “Felix Baumgartner on Red Bull Stratos: The Day the Black Sky Turned Blue.” Red Bull, 10 Sept. 2022, http://www.redbull.com/int-en/felix-baumgartner-stratos-10-years. 

Mosher, Dave. “Hop Inside the Red Bull Stratos Space-Jump Capsule.” Popular Mechanics, 12 Mar. 2012, 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/g1783/hop-inside-the-red-bull-stratos-high-tech-space-jump-c apsule-7284912/. 

Mott, Nicholas. “Supersonic Skydive’s 5 Biggest Risks: Boiling Blood, Deadly Spins, & Worse.” National Geographic, 7 Oct. 2012, 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/121005-felix-baumgartner-skydive-science-sound-b arrier-joseph-kittinger. 

Paone, Thomas. “A Decade Since the Long Fall from Red Bull Stratos.” National Air and Space Museum, 26 Oct. 2022, airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/decade-since-red-bull-stratos. 

“Physical vs Mental Challenges of Red Bull Stratos.” YouTube, Red Bull, 27 June 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW7qlqJbWdM. 

Rice, Tony. “Jump from Space? Not Quite.” WRAL.Com, 16 Oct. 2012, 

http://www.wral.com/jump-from-space-not-quite/11666095/. 

Wall, Mike. “World’s Highest Skydive! Daredevil Makes Record-Breaking Supersonic Jump.” Space.Com, Space, 14 Oct. 2012, 

http://www.space.com/17961-supersonic-skydive-worlds-highest-space-jump.html. 

“Why Baumgartner’s Record Dive Almost Didn’t Happen.” BBC News, BBC, 2 Nov. 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20167361. 

Zax, David. “The Technology Behind the Red Bull Stratos Stunt Dive.” MIT Technology Review, 10 Oct. 2012, 

http://www.technologyreview.com/2012/10/10/255037/the-technology-behind-the-red-bull-stratos-stunt dive/. 

Edited by Eshal Mehmood