Whatever else you’re doing right now, stop. Just stop. Your fantasy football team, Christopher Walken Away From You, can wait: SOMEONE IS ABOUT TO SKYDIVE FROM SPACE. That someone is Felix Baumgartner, part-time Red Bull clothing enthusiast, full-time daredevil (awesome). Here are the specifics:
Red Bull Stratos, a mission to the edge of space, will attempt to transcend human limits that have existed for 50 years. Supported by a team of experts Felix Baumgartner plans to ascend to 120,000 feet in a stratospheric balloon and make a freefall jump rushing toward earth at supersonic speeds before parachuting to the ground. His attempt to dare atmospheric limits holds the potential to provide valuable medical and scientific research data for future pioneers. (Via)
You can and should watch the live feed here (5 million people and counting!). THE FUTURE IS NOW, folks. But if someone doesn’t say “WELCOME TO EARF” when Baumgartner lands, was it really worth it?
UPDATE: no biggie, Felix is tweeting from 127,000 feet in the air.
UPDATE #2: THE DOOR IS OPEN:
UPDATE #3: According to Mashable:
On top of the world record for longest freefall jump, Felix Baumgartner’s Red Bull Stratos space jump has already broken an Internet record. More than 7.1 million people are tuning in to watch the live video of the jump on YouTube, setting an Internet video record. (Via)