Watch Felix Baumgartner Jump From 120,000 Feet, Break the Sound Barrier

At 8:30AM ET, Felix Baumgartner will launch up into the stratosphere in preparation for his jump. Baumgartner will be eventually jumping from a height of 120,000 feet — 18,000 feet higher than the previous record for such a jump. Though the time might change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, the livestream above will continue rolling to capture whatever it is that Red Bull is able to record during the attempt. One only hopes that some of the video from the cameras attached to Baumgartner himself make the cut.

Here’s a list of different cameras that might manage to get spliced in to the feed:

IN-FLIGHT CAMERAS

CAPSULE

• Nine high-definition cameras
• Three 4K (4,000 x 2,000-pixel) digital cinematography cameras
• Three high-resolution digital still cameras
• Pressurized electronics “keg” containing more than 125 electronic components and approximately two miles of wiring

PRESSURE SUIT

• Three small high-definition video cameras: one on each thigh and one on Felix’s chest pack

So, we’re looking at a total of 18 different cameras that might be able to capture the moment when Baumgartner actually breaks the sound barrier. It’ll be the first time a human has done so during free fall; Baumgartner will be traveling an estimated 690 miles per hour at that point.

Not only is the whole event ridiculously cool, due to the near-space nature of the stunt, medical and scientific data will be collected as well. There’s always a way to squeeze a little science out of a shameless publicity stunt. You just have to know where to look.

(YouTube via Hacker News)

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