THIS IS A MUST WATCH: www.redbullstratos.com
Red Bull Stratos is a mission to the edge of space that will try to surpass human limits that have existed for more than 50 years.
Supported by a team of experts, Felix Baumgartner will undertake a stratospheric balloon flight to more than 120,000 feet / 36,576 meters and make a record-breaking freefall jump in the attempt to become the first man to break the speed of sound in freefall, while delivering valuable data for medical and scientific advancement.
Felix Baumgartner started his ascent to 23 miles above Earth today, hoping to achieve the craziest free fall that could make him the first skydiver to break the sound barrier.
Baumgartner took off in a pressurized capsule carried by a 55-story ultra-thin helium balloon that is expected to take nearly three hours to climb into the stratosphere.
If plans go as expected, Baumgartner will then jump into a near vacuum with no oxygen to begin what is expected to be the fastest free fall from the highest-ever manned balloon and doing so, the Austrian daredevil will break the 1960 record for high-altitude jupms.