Felix Baumgartner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felix Baumgartner
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Baumgartner in 2014
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| Born | 20 April 1969 Salzburg, Austria
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| Died | 17 July 2025 (aged 56) Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy
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| Cause of death | Paragliding accident |
| Other names | B.A.S.E. 502, Fearless Felix |
Felix Baumgartner was an amazing Austrian skydiver and daredevil. He was famous for his incredible jump from a helium balloon high above Earth on October 14, 2012. This jump was part of the Red Bull Stratos project, and he landed safely in New Mexico, United States.
During this historic jump, Felix set several world records. He skydived from an estimated 39 kilometers (about 24 miles) high! He also reached an incredible top speed of about 1,357.64 kilometers per hour (843.6 mph), which is faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1.25). This made him the first person to break the sound barrier without being inside a vehicle during his descent. He also set records for the highest exit altitude, the longest freefall distance without a special drogue parachute, and the fastest vertical speed without a drogue. Two years later, in 2014, another person named Alan Eustace broke Felix's exit altitude record.
Felix was also well-known for performing many daring stunts throughout his career. He even trained in the Austrian military, where he practiced parachute jumping and learned to land precisely in small areas. Sadly, Felix Baumgartner passed away on July 17, 2025, at the age of 56, after a paragliding accident in Italy.
Contents
Felix Baumgartner: A Skydiving Legend
Early Life and Daring Stunts
Felix Baumgartner was born in Salzburg, Austria. As a child, he dreamed about flying and skydiving. He grew up to become a true adventurer!
Record-Breaking Jumps
In 1999, Felix set a world record for the highest parachute jump from a building. He jumped from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
On July 20, 2003, Felix became the first person to skydive across the English Channel. He used a special carbon fibre wing to help him glide.
Felix also set a world record for the lowest BASE jump ever. He jumped from just 29 meters (about 95 feet) off the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
He continued to push boundaries. On June 27, 2004, he became the first person to BASE jump from the completed Millau Viaduct in France. Two years later, on August 18, 2006, he was the first to skydive onto, and then BASE jump from, the Turning Torso building in Malmö, Sweden. On December 12, 2007, he made an unauthorized BASE jump from the 91st floor of Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan. Because of this, he was not allowed to enter Taiwan again.
The Red Bull Stratos Project
In January 2010, news spread that Felix Baumgartner was working on an amazing project. He teamed up with scientists and his sponsor, Red Bull, to attempt the highest sky-dive ever from a helium balloon. This project was called Red Bull Stratos.
Preparing for the Big Jump
Getting ready for such a high jump was a huge challenge. Felix had to wear a special pressure suit to protect him in the extreme conditions of space. At first, he found it difficult to be in the suit because it felt very tight, like claustrophobia. But with help from a sports psychologist and other experts, he bravely overcame this challenge.
Test Flights and the Main Event
Felix completed two important test jumps before the main event.
- On March 15, 2012, he made his first test jump from 21,818 meters (about 71,581 feet). He free fell for about 3 minutes and 43 seconds, reaching speeds over 580 kilometers per hour (360 mph). The whole jump lasted about eight minutes and eight seconds. He became only the third person to safely parachute from such a high altitude.
- On July 25, 2012, his second test jump was from 96,640 feet (about 29,456 meters). It took him about 90 minutes to reach this height. His free fall lasted about three minutes and 48 seconds before his parachutes opened.
The main launch was planned for October 9, 2012, but bad weather caused a delay. The historic jump finally happened on October 14, 2012. Felix landed safely in eastern New Mexico. He jumped from a then-world-record height of 38,969.3 meters (127,852 feet). He free fell a record distance of 36,402.6 meters (119,430 feet) and then used his parachute for the final 2,566.7 meters (8,421 feet).
During his descent, Felix set the record for the fastest free fall speed at 1,357.64 kilometers per hour (843.6 mph). This made him the first human to break the sound barrier without being inside a vehicle. He was in free fall for 4 minutes and 19 seconds. His mentor, Joseph Kittinger, who held a similar record from 1960, was his radio contact during the jump. Two years and 10 days later, Felix's altitude record was broken by Alan Eustace.
Life After the Stratos Jump
Racing Adventures
In 2014, Felix Baumgartner decided to try something new: car racing! He joined Audi Motorsport to drive an Audi R8 LMS in the 2014 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. He had raced Volkswagen Polos in 2013. He went through intense physical and driver training to get ready. He helped his team finish in ninth place overall.
His Legacy and Awards
Felix Baumgartner received many awards for his incredible achievements:
- In 2012, he won the Bambi award in the "Millennium" category.
- In December 2012, Top Gear magazine named him one of "The Men of the Year 2012."
- He was named Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year on March 12, 2013.
- He received the Mankind Award at The 2013 Spike Guys' Choice Awards.
- Flying magazine ranked him number 46 on their 2013 list of "51 Heroes of Aviation." He was the youngest living person on that list.
See also
- Space diving
- Eugene Andreyev — the former record holder for the longest-distance free fall jump
- Michel Fournier — who has been working on a 25-mile (40 km) jump for several years
- Nick Piantanida — flew highest balloon flight prior to Baumgartner: 123,500-foot (37,600 m) in 1966.
- Project Manhigh — pre-NASA military project that took men in balloons to the middle layers of Earth's stratosphere. Participants set altitude and parachute jump records.
- Pyotr Dolgov — died in 1962 carrying out a high-altitude jump
- Steve Truglia — English stuntman who was planning a similar jump
