Baumgartner jumps into record books with fall from space

ROSWELL, NM (RNN) – Clapping, laughter and tears filled the mission control room as Austrian pilot and BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner began his historic fall from space.

Baumgartner safely landed on solid ground and took one more “giant leap” after he set multiple records for the highest ever jump from space.

He became the only man to break the speed of sound in a freefall dive, traveling at a peak velocity of 833.9 mph (1,342.8 kph). That speed equated to Mach 1.24.

He leaped more than 128,100 feet – roughly 24 miles – from a capsule in space and landed just a short distance from where he took off.

Baumgartner was briefly in what appeared as a flat spin but regained control after a short time. He also told mission control during the dive that he felt he might pass out and that his visor began to fog and then frost up as his altitude lowered.

But he could not explain what it was like at the moment he broke the sound barrier.

“It’s hard to describe because I didn’t feel it,” Baumgartner said. “When your’e in that pressure suit you don’t feel anything. It’s kind of like being in a cast. You don’t have any reference points to judge your speed.”