The Man Who Fell To Earth

[vangogh]

I'm guessing most everyone saw a clip or at least heard about Felix Baumgartner who parachuted to earth after jumping out of capsule about 128,000 feet (over 24 miles) above the ground, but in case you haven't here's a clip from YouTube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHtvDA0W34I

I'm not sure what to think. Part of me wants to say the guy is crazy for trying, but most of me thinks it's pretty cool that he tried. Technically he isn't in space, but let's face it, he certainly looks like he's in space and he's much closer than you or I have ever been or are likely to be. Just sitting on the outside of that capsule and looking down must have been an experience in itself, but to then jump out. Wow.

Crazy or not, I'm impressed and think it's another step toward us traveling and exploring space.

A bit unrelated to the actual jump is the fact that 8 million people watched it live on YouTube. For perspective the #20 show according to Neilsen last week had 9.7 million viewers.

[ozetel]

Incredible!

And how good is the video quality!

What a feat, would be an amazing feeling stepping out on to the platform preparing to jump. Did they mention how long it took to ascend? And what happens to the balloon and capsule after the jump? I reckon making that step to actually jump from 20 odd miles above the earth - wow! Like to have known his heart rate at that point!

But yep, brilliant - we are getting closer.

[KristineS]

It's pretty awesome. I don't know that I would ever do something like that, but it's cool that someone did. I love it when people push the boundaries of what we think is possible.

[cobase]

It's incredible -- the man did a freefall for 4 and half minutes and reached over 800mph!

Even more amazing is that Red Bull managed to turn it into a massive publicity campaign; just goes to show that the right marketing can set a product far apart, even in a crowded space like energy drinks.

[vangogh]

Did they mention how long it took to ascend?

I didn't catch it, but I know it took a lot longer to go up than to come back down. :)


I reckon making that step to actually jump from 20 odd miles above the earth - wow!

I know. You have to ask yourself if it was you could you do it? Could you take that step? It takes a very brave person or at least one very confident in the preparations.


I love it when people push the boundaries of what we think is possible.

Me too. Even though I said part of me thought it was crazy, it's really only a very small part. The overwhelming majority of me thinks it's great. I can only imagine how many people he influenced and inspired who'll go on to do something important in the space industry.


just goes to show that the right marketing can set a product far apart, even in a crowded space like energy drinks.

True. Hmm? Ok, who here wants to try a similar feat. We'll get the community here together and finance a jump from 25 miles up. Any takers? :)

Granted most, if not all, of us are never going to be able to pull this kind of marketing off, it does show how a little creativity and risk can have a huge payoff. In this case too, the jump fits well with Red Bull's story. This kind of thing couldn't work for all businesses, but it could for them, given what they're all about.

[dragonsfire1981]

Are you a David Bowie fan? There was a great film from 1976 called The Man Who Fell To Earth too...

[vangogh]

I am. The film is exactly why this thread has the subject line it does. It seemed fitting and I like using references like that to see if anyone picks up on them.

[Harold Mansfield]

Add one more item to the list of things that were first seen in Star Trek, that became reality.

[vangogh]

That's a long list. I wonder if the future will remember Gene Roddenberry as the visionary behind much of the technology in place.

[billbenson]

I know. You have to ask yourself if it was you could you do it? Could you take that step? It takes a very brave person or at least one very confident in the preparations.

I suspect after all the prep you just go for it at that point. I went sky diving once back in the round chute jump alone days. It's no comparison, but with all the ground prep and peer pressure from my college buddies, you just do it.

[Harold Mansfield]

That's a long list. I wonder if the future will remember Gene Roddenberry as the visionary behind much of the technology in place.
It would be nice if that was the case.

I mean you cant deny Star Trek Communicators/Nextel push to talk. Tablets. LCARS/Touch screens. PDAs. Computer/Siri and Voice Recogniton. Those Medical Air injection things, and so many others that we weren't even close to developing when we first saw them on Star Trek.

Of course I'm a "Trekie" so I'm biased.

[vangogh]

I'm biased too, but it's amazing how many things we have today that I first saw on Star Trek. Have you seen the Tricorder Project (http://www.tricorderproject.org/)?


http://youtu.be/y3sHTKrGdKI

The video is from a year ago I think, maybe more. A newer version is currently in development.