The Felix & his Supersonic dive

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pbrme

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Is anyone else tracking this?

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner plans to make a death-defying, 23-mile free fall into the southeastern New Mexico desert in an attempt to break the speed of sound.

From:

Skydiver's supersonic jump on weather hold

If the mission goes, Baumgartner will make a nearly three-hour ascent to 120,000 feet, then take a bunny-style hop from a pressurized capsule into a near-vacuum where there is barely any oxygen to begin what is expected to be the fastest, farthest free fall from the highest-ever manned balloon.
...

During the ascent, Walshe said, the team will have views from a number of cameras, including one focused directly on Baumgartner's face. Additionally, they will have data from life support and other systems that show things like whether he is getting enough oxygen.

The team also expects constant communication with Baumgartner, although former Air Force Capt. Joe Kittinger, whose 1960 free-fall record from 19.5 miles Baumgartner hopes to break, is the only member of mission control who will be allowed to talk to him.

And while Baumgartner hopes to set four new world records, his free fall is more than just a stunt.

His dive from the stratosphere should provide scientists with valuable information for next-generation spacesuits and techniques that could help astronauts survive accidents.

Jumping from more than three times the height of the average cruising altitude for jetliners, Baumgartner's expects to hit a speed of 690 mph or more before he activates his parachute at 9,500 feet above sea level, or about 5,000 above the ground in southeastern New Mexico. The total jump should take about 10 minutes.
View live:

http://www.redbullstratos.com/live

 
In theory... assuming the suit gives negligible resistance... what would the splat / splatter radius be at impact if the parachute does not deploy?

 
^^^ He will actually slow down once he's entirely back into the atmosphere and the splat wouldn't be any bigger than that of a "normal" skydiver.

 
Depending on the surface he lands on, the radius would vary from nothing up to 30-40'.

I've seen videos of guys surviving their splat because they landed in thick bushes (insert airstrip joke here).

 
^^^ He will actually slow down once he's entirely back into the atmosphere and the splat wouldn't be any bigger than that of a "normal" skydiver.
You're assuming he'll stay in one piece and the shock waves don't get him.

 
In which case, he would actually gain surface area and slow down further...

 
Understandable. My parents were avid skydivers before I was born. They said the rigging was the biggest challenge.

 
Mission complete!

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I happened to be channel surfing yesterday and stumbled across it live on Discovery Channel just before he jumped. It was actually pretty interesting to watch. The communication between Felix and mission control was a little unnerving. He didn't really seem to be that responsive.

 
315549_538647892831335_981651490_n.jpg
 
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