Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria prepares for his record-breaking leap from the Red Bull Stratos on October 14.

Discussion:  Felix Baumgartner, an Australian daredevil, lept from a record-breaking 128,100 feet above earth on Sunday.  Technology, including a pressurized suit and capsule, allowed him to successfully be propelled into space and then plummet safely back to earth.  The pressurized suit, besides possibly preventing Baumgartner’s flesh from expanding and turning into gas above 62,000 feet, allowed for increased visibility, mobility, and temperature variations between 100 and -90 degrees.  Other technologies used in the jump were a chest pack control center, over a dozen specialized cameras, and several parachutes.  Baumgartner landed successfully in Roswell, New Mexico.

Source:  CNN News

Date:  October 15, 2012

Link:  http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/15/tech/innovation/space-jump-tech/index.html

Discussion Questions:

• How could some of these technologies be applied to other situations?
• Why was a specialized parachute needed for the jump?