It was set to be a historic moment: daredevil Felix Baumgartner was ready to plunge from the edge of the stratosphere down to earth–a record-setting 120,000 feet, and at speeds that are likely to eclipse the sound barrier. It’s BASE jumping so extreme that it almost counts as space exploration. But the historic jump, which was to take place today, was delayed due to wind.
In addition to being inherently dramatic and heart-pounding, Baumgartner’s mission (Red Bull is footing the bill) also entails a bunch of cool technology. Take, for instance, Baumgartner’s space suit, which Wired’s Beth Carter recently took a close look at. The suit was designed and built by the David Clark Company, which has been making suits for pilots and astronauts since 1941. The suit is fundamentally similar to ones worn by Air Force pilots who go on high-altitude missions, only it’s tweaked to be more maneuverable, and contains mirrors at strategic locations to give Baumgartner a wider field of vision.
via technology review
October 10, 2012
