IT IS the ultimate parachute jump: from the edge of space, Felix Baumgartner will leap from a balloon and plummet 120,000ft.
After 35 seconds he will break the sound barrier, and finally, at 5,000ft, he will deploy a parachute and – hopefully – land safely.
During his 10-minute journey to Earth the Austrian will travel at more than 690mph inside a special suit, which must protect him from temperatures as low as -94F (-70C).
He will rely on oxygen tanks because the air will be too thin to breathe, and hope that the sheer force of the fall does not make him black out.
His team will announce this week that an attempt to make the record-breaking jump will take place in August above New Mexico.
Mr Baumgartner, who in 2003 became the first person to “skydive” across the English Channel, will undertake two test jumps at 60,000ft and 90,000ft in the coming months.
Speaking about being given the chance to make the jump, he said: “I am struggling to find the right words to express my happiness, how relieved and motivated I am.”
Mr Baumgartner said he hoped the stunt would provide valuable information on how humans will cope with space tourism and open up new types of extreme sports such as space-diving.
He added: “I always feel the danger because you might always be subject to an unexpected or emergency event.
“One single mistake might cause a real catastrophe. You are worried about being where humans shouldn’t be.
“The longest time I’ve spent inside the suit with the front part of the helmet closed is three hours, and to be honest, it was horrible.
“To jump and break the sound barrier will not be a mere record-breaking experience or another extreme event that ends once the mission is accomplished. This is an experience that will simulate the first human landing on the Moon, and will benefit scientific research.”
Mr Baumgartner, who has also “base jumped” — parachuted from low altitudes — off the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, is hoping to beat a record held for 50 years by Joe Kittinger, a US Air Force colonel who jumped from 102,800ft in 1960.
The skydive, which is being sponsored by the energy drink manufacturer Red Bull, would break four world records: the highest altitude freefall, the highest manned balloon flight, the longest distance travelled in freefall and the speed record for the fastest freefall.
Mr Baumgartner, a helicopter pilot when he is not skydiving, will travel into the stratosphere in a specially adapted scientific weather balloon.
The giant helium balloon, which will inflate to a diameter of around 400ft, will take three hours to carry a pressurised capsule to 120,000ft – nearly 23 miles up. Commercial airliners typically cruise at between 30,000 and 39,000ft.
At 23 miles up, the air pressure is 1,000 times less than it is at sea level. Without his own oxygen supply, Mr Baumgartner would suffocate and his blood would begin to boil because the boiling point of liquids falls as pressure falls.
A pressurised suit similar to those used by Nasa astronauts will protect him from the harsh environment. Engineers have spent nearly two years developing and testing the suit in preparation for the jump.
Oxygen cylinders in the parachute pack will supply him with 20 minutes of oxygen, more than enough for the 10-minute
sky- dive. The parachute itself has also been adapted so that Mr Baumgartner can reach the cords to open it, given that the suit makes it difficult for him to move around freely.
Once the balloon reaches its highest altitude, Mr Baumgartner will open the specially constructed capsule, before launching himself into the unknown.
Scientists in his team estimate he will break through the sound barrier after around 35 seconds in the thin air of the stratosphere, reaching Mach 1.2.
At this altitude, the speed of sound is 690mph, slower than at sea level where the sound barrier is reached at 768mph, because of the difference in temperature and air density. The helmet of his suit has been constructed to protect him from the sonic boom as he passes through the sound bar-
I always feel the danger... You are worried about being where humans shouldn’t be
rier. It also features a heated visor and sun shield to help keep his vision clear.
After around five minutes of free- fall, Mr Baumgartner, will open his parachute at 4,986ft.
The increased air resistance as the atmosphere thickens will help to slow him down before he pulls the cord. A further five minutes later he is due to land safely back on the ground.
The biggest danger he will face after jumping is going into a spin, which would cause him to black out.
This almost killed Kittinger in training in 1959, when a stabilising parachute failed to open.
Mr Baumgartner plans to use the skills he has developed during 2,500 jumps to control his own free fall, using movements of his arms and legs to control his flight.
His team hopes he will land as close as possible to the take-off zone in New Mexico, but even the slightest breath of wind could throw him off course and he could drift up to 150 miles with just a light breeze.
The jump was supposed to take place last year, but a legal case lodged against Red Bull by a promoter called Daniel Hogan, who claimed the stunt was his idea, meant that preparations were abandoned.
Last July, however, the legal dispute was resolved and the case was dismissed.
Mr Baumgartner also faces competition from other skydivers hoping to break the record before him. Michel Fournier, a 67-year-old retired US Air Force colonel, is hoping to jump from an altitude of 25 miles but has faced delays.
He still expects to make his jump this year, however.