Why Did Felix Baumgartner Jump From 128,000 Feet Instead of Going Higher?

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SUMMARY

Felix Baumgartner's jump from approximately 128,000 feet was limited by the capabilities of his helium balloon and the design of his life support system, which provided oxygen for about 10 minutes. The jump reached a maximum speed of 833.9 mph, or Mach 1.24, although he did not break the freefall duration record set by Joe Kittinger. The balloon's float altitude was determined by the balance of internal helium pressure and external atmospheric pressure, preventing further ascent. Baumgartner's spinning during freefall raised concerns about potential loss of consciousness and parachute entanglement.

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uperkurk
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Why only 120,00ft? How much higher could he go before he is like 5,000ft from leaving the atmospshere never to return again?
 
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120,000 ft is already about twice the Kármán line, and right in the thermosphere. For reference, the ISS orbits in the thermosphere.
 
uperkurk said:
How much higher could he go before he is like 5,000ft from leaving the atmospshere never to return again?
The question makes little sense: the atmosphere doesn't have a defined boundary from which to measure being 5,000 ft below it.
 
uperkurk said:
Why only 120,00ft? How much higher could he go before he is like 5,000ft from leaving the atmospshere never to return again?

He is in a balloon, not a rocket. He cannot leave the atmosphere and not come back.
 
So why not just go as high as possible and then jump? Why stop at 120,000 ft?
 
uperkurk said:
So why not just go as high as possible and then jump? Why stop at 120,000 ft?

Dunno. His balloon may not be capable of going any higher for one. I'm sure there are other issues involved at increasing altitude.
 
maybe his suit is also only rated for a certain height or something
 
It may be a matter of duration - how long it takes to get there, then fall.

I would love to do that!

I'd settle for a wingsuit from the top of the clouds.
 
Astronuc said:
I'd settle for a wingsuit from the top of the clouds.
That beard would cause some unstable flight dynamics I think. :smile:
 
  • #10
jhae2.718 said:
120,000 ft is already about twice the Kármán line, and right in the thermosphere. For reference, the ISS orbits in the thermosphere.

I think your math is a little off. 120k ft is just over 36km, the karman line is 100 km. That puts him below the mesosphere and into the stratosphere.
 
  • #11
JonDE said:
I think your math is a little off. 120k ft is just over 36km, the karman line is 100 km. That puts him below the mesosphere and into the stratosphere.

You're right; in fact it's more than a little off. That's what I get for doing arithmetic in my head instead of MATLAB. Somehow I translated 62 mi into 62,000 ft.
 
  • #13
God did not intend Man to do this.
In fact, God didn't intend Man to anything since one of them doesn't exist.
This stunt won't improve that situation.

When people wish to die by falling, they ought to have the courtesy to let their death scream precede them, rather than postcede them.
 
  • #14
The jump is due any moment now, BBC news 24 is focused on it.
 
  • #15
that was pretty awesome

I'm really glad he made it safe
 
  • #16
Did he break the speed of sound?

He should have went higher and tried to break the speed of light.
 
  • #17
Just saw it now , he didn't manage to break the world record i think because he deployed his parachute at 4 min 19 seconds.
 
  • #18
I believe that he broke Kittinger's record for 614 mph freefall speed, but spent less time free falling.

I think he got to like 729 mph? Though of course I guess they have to verify it however they do that.
 
  • #19
SHISHKABOB said:
I believe that he broke Kittinger's record for 614 mph freefall speed, but spent less time free falling.

I think he got to like 729 mph? Though of course I guess they have to verify it however they do that.

I think he got a little higher than that about 800+ but he slowed down afterwards.
 
  • #20
There was a great moment when he regained the control - there was a moment when he was spinning faster and faster, but apparently the air density got high enough and in a split second he had things under control and was flying head first.

Nobody commented on that in Polish TV where I watched the jump, apparently they had no idea what they were seeing.
 
  • #21
Borek said:
There was a great moment when he regained the control - there was a moment when he was spinning faster and faster, but apparently the air density got high enough and in a split second he had things under control and was flying head first.

Nobody commented on that in Polish TV where I watched the jump, apparently they had no idea what they were seeing.

Just wondering why they didn't fit a camera into his helmet...and on a lighter note what tune would you play as your freefalling...'eye of the tiger'...?
 
  • #23
Greg Bernhardt said:
Anyone have a video link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEYWbAeGX4A
 
  • #24
The spinning moment is not present in this video.
 
  • #25
Borek said:
The spinning moment is not present in this video.

it's real blurry and hard to tell but at like 2:41 you can see that he's spinning

when it cuts to the mission control people moments later you can see one of the dudes making a spinny motion with his hands

but yeah I was watching the live steam and for a while you could really see him spinning fast. There's probably better videos out there.
 
  • #26
I noticed spinning but it was for very short time. He lost control for like one second from what appears to be in the video
 
  • #27
As far as I remember the moment with spinning and regaining control was just when the view got back from the mission control to falling FB. That's cut out.
 
  • #30
rootX said:
Their conversion looks wrong?
http://www.unitarium.com/speed
Maybe Mach 1.096?

I think that they adjusted the speed of sound for his altitude
 

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