How long will stratos ascent take

Red Bull. Daredevil Felix Baumgartner plans to ride a giant balloon to the edge of space, then jump out. To get there, however, he'll hitch a ride inside a pressurized gondola. Today, weather permitting, daredevil Felix Baumgartner will attempt a 60,foot-high dry run of a world-record-breaking space jump planned for this summer. The stunt is the first of two tests for Baumgartner before he attempts the space dive from , feet this summer.

During that fall, Baumgartner could reach supersonic speeds in the whisper-thin reaches of the upper atmosphere.

To kiss the edge of space, Baumgartner will have to hunker down inside a pressurized capsule. The only thing that you can hear [is your mind]. Written by Red Bull. Part of this story. View Profile. Just one hour and 40 minutes earlier, the Austrian extreme athlete had lifted off from Roswell on board a space capsule attached to a 50m ft high helium balloon that brought him to an altitude of nearly 22,m 72,ft.

Detail of switches in the Red Bull Stratos capsule. Pressure sphere The pressure sphere, with a diameter of 6 feet, contains the flight control panel and instrumentation and is where Baumgartner will be seated during the ascent. Cage The cage surrounds the pressure sphere and supports the capsule overall. The cage frame is the point at which the capsule attaches to the balloon and will bear the load for the parachute system and capsule touchdown.

Shell The external shell, 11 feet high and eight feet in diameter at its base, surrounds the pressure sphere and cage. Base and crush pads The eight-foot-diameter base comprises of a two-inch thick aluminum honeycomb panel which protects the capsule from sharp objects during landing and provides a mounting for the balloon system control box and batteries.

Taking more than drop tests to develop, the crush pads can be used only once and must be replaced after every flight. The capsule has been thoroughly tested, and the Red Bull Stratos team says they are ready to fly.

An exact date for the jump has not been released, but sources say it will likely be in August or September More info: Red Bull Stratos website. Our previous article about the Red Bull Stratos jump. In the pre-supertechnology horse and buggy days Joseph Kittinger on August 16, , made the jump at , feet 31, m. Seems like it would just drive costs up, only for a little extra comfort during his 3 hour ascent?