Marks One-Year Anniversary Of Felix Baumgartner's Jump From The Edge Of Space

One year ago Monday, Col. Joe Kittinger and the rest of the Red Bull Stratos team were glued to the Mission Control monitors as Felix Baumgartner became the first human ever to break the sound barrier with his own body. That night, they celebrated the historic achievement with Baumgartner in New Mexico – and  in the Austrian’s birthplace of Salzburg, they reunited once more to mark the first anniversary of the historic event. After twelve months to reflect on the accomplishment, Baumgartner and his closest colleagues are sharing new insights as he shows them the region where he grew up and they enjoy the premiere of a new documentary, “Mission to the Edge of Space: The Inside Story of Red Bull Stratos.”

Red Bull Stratos was the flight test program that riveted the world last fall, as Baumgartner ascended 24 miles above earth with a massive helium balloon. Wearing only a spacesuit, and with a mere 10 minutes of oxygen on his back, he jumped from the balloon’s capsule and accelerated from 0 to 843.6 miles per hour – Mach 1.25 – in just 50 seconds before eventually parachuting to the ground. Red Bull Stratos broke numerous world records, including several set by Kittinger in 1960, and delivered valuable scientific data to improve safety for future aviators and astronauts. “Now major aerospace companies come to us for projects they can’t accomplish in a short time frame – because they now know we can,” commented Art Thompson of Sage Cheshire Aerospace, who was the Technical Director Red Bull Stratos. “One of the biggest satisfactions for me is though what it did for education, because it inspired millions of kids to start thinking about engineering in aerospace, thinking about other fields to apply to the sciences. That was one of the greatest paybacks for us.”

The entire Salzburg region welcomed the hometown hero and his expert team as they celebrated throughout the anniversary weekend. Baumgartner shared the Red Bull Stratos capsule exhibition on display at the Hangar-7 venue, and he led a trip to spectacular Alpine destinations. An avid pilot, Baumgartner even gave Kittinger, Thompson, and Medical Director Jonathan Clark a sightseeing ride in a helicopter. On the evening of October 13, the team was treated to a preview screening of “Mission to the Edge of Space: The Inside Story of Red Bull Stratos,” at which they offered their reactions and discussed topics including the mission’s scientific outcomes and global impact. “What I really love about the documentary is that, finally, the whole team was put in the limelight. So many people have not only invested know-how and expertise in that project, but also dedication and passion,” said Baumgartner.

As of Monday, viewers in 31 countries can also experience “Mission to the Edge of Space.” Available to stream for free, the remarkable new film from Red Bull Media House is making its world premiere exclusively on Rdio. The breathtaking documentary reveals new behind-the-scenes stories and footage from launch day and all through the project’s five years of development, including undisclosed dramas. Viewers get long-awaited details on Baumgartner’s faceplate heating issue, which nearly aborted the mission, and also hear intimate anecdotes from the team as they look back on the experience for the first time on camera. Dr. Clark said: “I like that it tells the real story. It’s real human drama and it shows that projects can still be accomplished, even though some things go wrong along the way.”

“I think it shows the world the true emotions of the project – the frustration, the drama, the fun and, most of all, the people,” Kittinger said.

(Images provided by Red Bull Stratos)

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