Congratulations to Felix Baumgartner who leapt from his helium-filled balloon at 39 km altitude and succeeded in exceeding Mach 1 while setting a new world altitude record for a skydive. A very brave endeavour indeed!
As I watched the live (20 second delay) broadcast yesterday, I was stuck by the extensive preparations and scale of the adventure, with a capcom (Joe Kittinger the 1960 world record holder) reminiscent of NASA.
Yet this was privately financed, sponsored by Red Bull. It is pleasing that in at least one area, the Government is not trying to take the lead.
A sterling, courageous effort, private enterprise to the fore. Science will benefit, and in due course all of us. Brave man to take the risk with the pressure suit etc etc, I could NOT have stepped out there !!
hz
15 Oct 12 at 7:10 pm
A great achievement conducted with great courage and daring by Mr.Baumgartner. It is an example of men continuing to ‘test’ mankind’s apparent limits and surpass them.
This is the way it always has been. One man or a small group of men take immense risks to ‘reach’ a different level. It is only in the recent period that Governments have taken some controlling part, taxing the general population in doing so and more often than not against the public’s will. Occasionally some ‘great project’ captured the public imagination sufficiently ( and with much persuasion, coercion and mendacity) and huge achievments have been ticked off. But in the main it remains the ideas and desires of the few that advance mankind.
This time it is the millions who have bought cans of Red Bull, quite willingly, that have the thanks of we who prefer a fine Whisky.
Amfotas
15 Oct 12 at 7:23 pm
Still, I do think we over engineer things far to much these days. Joseph Kittingers jump was far more memorable. He jumped into weather worse than what Red Bull delayed on, and from 100,000 feet 40 years ago in an open balloon with a suit that was leaking.
I know they wanted it to go off without a hitch for all the publicity but still… I can’t wait for private companies to announce one way suicide missions to mars. With out all the safety regulations you would wonder how far people would be willing to take risks and sacrifice themselves. Afterall tens of thousands die driving cars on the road every year, how many astronaughts die?
mundi
15 Oct 12 at 7:42 pm
Capcom?
rob
15 Oct 12 at 7:42 pm
Yay, Felix!
NASA needs to be destroyed and go back to being a technological advisory board (NACA). It does not, and since the end of the Apollo program probably never did, deserve to be the be-all and end-all of US space travel efforts. The last letter in its name has morphed and taken over. And that is bad.
perturbed
15 Oct 12 at 7:45 pm
Terrific to see that courage and the spirit of adventure still lives on in this over regulated and PC world.
Well done, Felix. Guts effort.
Pedro the Ignorant
15 Oct 12 at 7:59 pm
Great to see, but a misplaced diphthong in “endevour” totally ruins it……..
Kaboom
15 Oct 12 at 8:07 pm
Bugger!
You fixed it whilst I was writing!
Kaboom
15 Oct 12 at 8:08 pm
That guy is one very hairy ape!
Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.
15 Oct 12 at 8:19 pm
This shot. Just amazing to see the curvature of the earth in the background.
Now if this government had been involved, Felix would have died of shame.
Gab
15 Oct 12 at 8:23 pm
You have to go to outer space to have a good time these days.
He would have arrested upon landing in Australia and charged with exhibiting manly behaviour.
Infidel Tiger
15 Oct 12 at 8:26 pm
I wouldn’t do it. But let me say this. I reckon it would be easier to do than say jump off a building with a chute as some people do at times.
Dunno why, but I’m guessing it’s so high up that the distance is simply lost on you.
But well done.
JC
15 Oct 12 at 8:30 pm
Would have been banned from take-off in Australia.
C.L.
15 Oct 12 at 8:32 pm
JC this guy has done his fair share of jumping off buildings with a chute as well. He even jumped off the left hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio
papachango
15 Oct 12 at 8:42 pm
Yes, not only does he hold the record for the highest jump, but also for the lowest BASE jump
Samuel J
15 Oct 12 at 8:48 pm
As Dick Rutan said after flying around the world non stop in Voyager in 1986 “look at what free men can do!”
I did see one web comment today that it was disconcerting when a drinks company was more advanced in space exploration than the government.
Perturbed, I completely agree re NASA.
While Felix did something remarkable, quietly SpaceX is going about the business of commercial spaceflight and succeeding for less than 10% of what it would cost NASA. Make that less than 10%. Much less.
Eyrie
15 Oct 12 at 9:41 pm
Nah – because he didn’t build that. Somebody else made it happen. Probably the Department of Stop Smoking or the Bureau of Tax Beer Drinking.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
15 Oct 12 at 9:46 pm
Gab, you’re being sexist. Stop it.
nilk
15 Oct 12 at 9:58 pm
You’re such a gal-queda, Nilk.
Gab
15 Oct 12 at 9:59 pm
lol. I would have thought that was the handbag hit squad. Or is that the cosa mossimo?
Ah well, it’s too late, and Felix wins. The poor lassies in Parliament wouldn’t know what to do with such an anomaly. (Other than what IT suggests, that is).
nilk
15 Oct 12 at 10:08 pm
OMG, they showed that on TV with no cautions or warnings.
WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHIIIIILDREN?!
sdog
15 Oct 12 at 10:41 pm
Here is no better example of the massive superiority of private capital returns versus public expenditure. From The Australian today:
‘The expenditure was missed in the original FWA investigation and was later dug up by television program A Current Affair.’
I believe it’s called ‘enterprise’.
Uber
16 Oct 12 at 6:20 am
I had the misfortune of watching a video snippet presented by the ABC24 work experience crew. The dissonance between the achievement, and the total lack of professionalism in the reporting, was jarring.
Regarding the jump : Impressed by the meticulous planning that was evident in the execution.
Keith
16 Oct 12 at 7:54 am
Just stunning!
HEAD CAM VIDEO of the jump. I’m in awe of this man.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 8:13 am
MSNBC
“Kirk and Spock Couldn’t Even Do This”
Lol
Rudiau
16 Oct 12 at 8:39 am
Gab, the curvature of the Earth in the photo is an illusion caused by a fisheye lens (an extreme wide angle is needed to get everything in shot when the camera is so close to the gondola). Even 40 km up, there is little or no perceptible curvature to the horizon.
Many shots from low earth orbit that show a steeply curved horizon are also camera distortions. The only people who have seen a seriously curved horizon are the Apollo astronauts.
braddles
16 Oct 12 at 8:59 am
I don’t want to know that braddles. The video is still stunning.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 9:00 am
If he’d done this while Gillard was speaking, he would have been misogynist.
Keith
16 Oct 12 at 9:40 am
The Libertarian mantra. Reminds me of the Islamofascists shouting “Allahu Akbar” – similar lunatic mindset.
1735099
16 Oct 12 at 9:42 am
I have high hopes that the next man on the moon will be via Elon Musk and SpaceX.
lotocoti
16 Oct 12 at 9:49 am
The only thing speed-related the Obama Administration backed was cash-for-clunkers.
And like the vehicles they bought, the Obamites couldn’t break 100km/h if they fell off a cliff, let alone the sound barrier.
The Old and Unimproved Dave
16 Oct 12 at 10:43 am
Mainly because they used equipment that was pioneered, tested and refined by NASA, and using expertise from former NASA employees (like Kittinger) developed on government pay.
Felix Baumgartner is a prime example of the private sector free-riding on public sector investment in R&D.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 12:27 pm
Interesting if true. I wonder where the “public sector investment” got it’s money from?
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 12:29 pm
Gab, you really should stick to cheerleading. Your comebacks are extremely lame.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 12:31 pm
What munty is saying is that I embarrassed him.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 12:32 pm
You’re the lame twat, munty!
Answer Gabs question. Where does public sector investment come from you fucking dill?
Every single comment just pronounces your fucking ignorance.
harrys on the boat
16 Oct 12 at 12:43 pm
Public sector investment comes (in part) from taxes on the private sector, yes. So what? This does not constitute an actual argument. Lead me through why you think this matters. Are you trying to take credit on behalf of the private sector for NASA’s innovations? That would be ridiculous.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 12:50 pm
So what? They didn’t steal technology from the 100% publicly-funded NASA. What is your point here?
And you’re a prime example of a dunce. NASA got it’s rocket technology from the Nazis. Are you saying they should have paid the Nazis for it?
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 12:56 pm
For the folks at home, what monty is saying: they didn’t build that.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 12:57 pm
My point is that Samuel calling this a triumph of the “power of the private sector” where “the Government is not trying to take the lead” is way off mark, because it’s pretty much the opposite in that government took the lead, as the private sector never would have seen space as commercially viable. Red Bull is coasting off the hard work of public-funded R&D.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 1:02 pm
You’ve just stated that public money comes from the private sector. Which was exactly Gabs point. It does constitute an argument because it debunks your assertion that “public” money (whatever the fuck that is) put a man on the moon.
And yes, I would think every tax paying American would take credit for all NASA’s achievements.
harrys on the boat
16 Oct 12 at 1:03 pm
Red Bull did not, in fact, build the space program.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 1:03 pm
No you idiot. You’ve got that backasswards.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 1:05 pm
that is exactly what he’s saying the fucking tool he is.
Where’s JC and IT to issue some discipline.
harrys on the boat
16 Oct 12 at 1:05 pm
Red Bull is Austrian. As is Baumgartner. Obviously the Stratos people learned their craft in the world famous Austrian space program…
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 1:05 pm
Monty declares: Austrians steal technology from NASA.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 1:07 pm
Not steal, Gab. Rent.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 1:08 pm
Again, what’s your point, monty?
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 1:09 pm
Read what I wrote at 1:02 again, Gab.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 1:12 pm
There is no point, Monty’s own ignorance has confused himself.
harrys on the boat
16 Oct 12 at 1:13 pm
LOL. You’re twirling in circles again. Seems you’re not sure of what point your trying to make.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 1:13 pm
And just where was NASA when the Wright brothers needed them, hmm?
Keith
16 Oct 12 at 1:17 pm
Captain Kittenger was not NASA, nor was his former project. They were US Air Force.
They funded the study for their own reasons and did not publish the key results other than the achievement itself.
Zatara
16 Oct 12 at 1:21 pm
Is the USAF a private sector institution now?
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 1:22 pm
I made my point, Gab. You just lack comprehension.
m0nty
16 Oct 12 at 1:23 pm
lol and you’re lacking any point. But it was nice of you to pop by and stumble over the front step.
Gab
16 Oct 12 at 1:26 pm
Nope, they aren’t private, and you were full of shit about who sponsored the project.
Result? You are full of shit.
Zatara
16 Oct 12 at 1:29 pm
Monst
Please don’t try something like this. It would like a meteor hitting the earth.
Jc
16 Oct 12 at 1:42 pm