Weird news of the day

A sky diver's 125,000-foot supersonic jump was stalled by a rough fall

Published August 16, 2012 9:12PM (EDT)

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jarod Hodge)
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jarod Hodge)

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner will have wait until fall before attempting a supersonic jump from 23 miles up.

The Austrian was all set to take the plunge high above the New Mexico desert at the end of this month. But on a dry run in late July, the capsule that hoisted him to an altitude of more than 18 miles was damaged. The space-like capsule landed on a rocky, uneven surface and fell over.

Organizers said this week that the craft needs to be rebuilt and tested before Baumgartner attempts his grand finale. It's getting new life-support systems and a new outer shell.

Baumgartner hopes everything will be ready by early to mid-October. He aims to break the sound barrier by jumping from 125,000 feet. The current record is 102,800 feet.


By Marcia Dunn

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