Published October 09, 2012, 10:16 AM
Skydiver begins prep for supersonic jump
A weather hold that threatened to cancel extreme athlete and skydiver Felix Baumgartner's death-defying, 23-mile free fall into the southeastern New Mexico desert has been lifted.
ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — A weather hold that threatened to cancel extreme athlete and skydiver Felix Baumgartner's death-defying, 23-mile free fall into the southeastern New Mexico desert has been lifted.
The planned 7 a.m. launch Tuesday was delayed by high winds. But just before 9 a.m., the winds calmed and the team decided to proceed with plans to begin the launch, a process that would take about two hours.
Crews began laying out his balloon.
The 43-year-old former military parachutist from Austria plans to take off in a 55-story, ultra-thin and easy-to-tear helium balloon that will take him into the stratosphere for a jump.
He hopes it will make him the first skydiver to break the sound barrier and shatter three other world records.
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