Parachutist prepares for record-setting jump

Atlanta Journal-Constitution : Yesterday Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian daredevil, jumped from a helium balloon at an altitude of some 21 kilometers over the New Mexico desert. In so doing, he became only the third person ever to free fall from such a high altitude, and the first to do so in 50 years. During the jump, which lasted 8 minutes and 8 seconds, Baumgartner reached speeds of up to 586 kilometers per hour. The jump was just a practice run, however, before his Red Bull Stratos mission to reach the edge of space. This summer Baumgartner plans to make a record-setting jump from a height of 37 kilometers—free falling for more than 5 minutes at supersonic speed. Because there is virtually no atmosphere at such heights, it’s almost like being in deep space. For that reason, NASA engineers have been monitoring Baumgartner’s progress. Ever since the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003, when seven astronauts were killed during reentry, emergency escape has been a top priority for the space agency. Space.com has posted photos of yesterday’s jump .