Felix Baumgartner now holds the world record for the highest ever free-fall and in doing so became the first jumper to break the sound barrier. The Red Bull Stratos team, which Felix is part of, gave the go ahead for the jump on Sunday. Some how the location of Roswell seems fitting for the jump.
The numbers
- Exit altitude: 128,100ft; 39,045m
- Total jump duration: 9’03”
- Freefall time: 4’20”
- Freefall distance 119,846ft; 36,529m
- Max velocity: 833.9mph; 1,342.8km/h; Mach 1.24
Links
I thought that terminal velocity for a falling human was about 120 miles per hour. How did he achieve so much higher speeds?
Terminal velocity depends on the density of the atmosphere. At high altitudes the atmosphere is less dense and so terminal velocity is higher.