April 20, 1969 Felix Baumgartner was born on 20 April 1969 in Salzburg, Austria. Skydiver and base jumper is known worldwide for having broken several records on October 19, 2012 jumping from an altitude of 39 thousand meters exceeding the speed of sound and reaching a top speed of 1357.6 kph. But his career is dotted with numerous other companies. In 1999, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, jumping from the Petronas Towers sets the record highest parachute jump world from a building. Four years later, on 31 July 2003, crosses the English Channel-first person in the world--wearing a wingsuit carbon fiber. After performing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the lowest Base jump in the world, springing from the hand of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, 27 June 2004 Felix becomes the first person ever to jump from the Millau Viaduct, located in France, while two years later establishes the same primacy in Sweden, Malmo, throwing herself from Turning Torso. Between a record and the other, on 12 December 2007 Taipei 101, then jumps from the tallest building in the world, from just under four hundred meters high. In 2010, they begin to spread the first rumors about its future business: thanks to the financing of the Red Bull, is working with a team of scientists to test the record jump in free fall, with the goal of starting from an altitude of 120,000 feet (corresponding to a little less than 37 kilometers), by leaping from a capsule in a helium filled balloon by wearing a special suit not too different from that available to the astronauts. The aim, in short, is to become the first skydiver can break the sound barrier, and at the same time break the round, obtained from Joseph Kittinger in 1960, parachute jumping from the top, at an altitude of 31.3 kilometers. According to the original plan, the enterprise should take place in 2011, but the project undergoes a slow down-as confirmed by a statement released by Red Bull in October 2010-as a result of a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court of California by Daniel Hogan, who claims to have had the first idea of launching from space with the parachute. In June 2011, the cause resolves to extra judicial way, and thus in the 2012 draft Baumgartner resumes: the first trial jump is staged on 15 March, from a height of 72thousand feet (about 22 kilometers). Felix during the leap passes about two hundred and twenty seconds in free fall before opening his parachute, reaching a top speed exceeding 580 kilometers per hour. The jump overall lasts eight minutes and eight seconds: the Austrian became the third person ever to jump with a parachute from a height greater than thirteen and a half miles. The second test takes place on 25 July 2012 jump from a height of just under 97mila feet (about 29 km). Just to get the altitude provided, there is no need for an hour and a half; the free fall before opening his parachute, however, lasts 3 minutes and 48 seconds. The landing of Baumgartner takes place in New Mexico, near Roswell, after reaching a speed of 862 kilometers per hour. Everything, therefore, seems ready for jumping final, scheduled for August 2012; the project, however, undergoes a postponement due to some damage to the capsule on the occasion of the landing of the second jump: damages, however, were not expected. In October the bad weather cause more delays: an attempt to jump of 5 October is postponed, as well as that of 9 October. On 14 October, finally, Felix Baumgartner is launched from a height of 128,177 feet, equal to 38969 metres, reaching a peak speed of 1357 kilometers per hour and breaking the speed of sound. Once on the ground, the mission brings three records: the highest speed achieved by an individual in freefall; the maximum height of a jump from a balloon; and the maximum height that a manned balloon ever arrived. The event is a success from the point of view of the media: in Italy allows Italy 2, the network that transmits it, get the record since its inception; in Austria the channel to which the undertaking conquest airs over three million viewers, representing a share of nearly 60% (another record). On Youtube, also the jump of Felix is followed live by over eight million viewers logged on from all over the world. On 6 November 2012 Baumgartner is sentenced to pay a fine of $ 1500 for assault after he punched in the face a Greek truck driver; a month later, he was nominated by the magazine "Top Gear" one of the men of the year. Engaged to the model Nicole Oettl, already Queen of beauty (Lower Austria in 2006 was "Miss"), Felix Baumgartner has always refused to get off in politics, because-as revealed in an interview to "Kleine Zeitung"-"Arnold Schwarzenegger's experience has taught me that in a democracy you cannot change anything: it would be better to moderate dictatorship".
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.