Felix Baumgartner

Felix Baumgartner was an Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper best known for the Red Bull Stratos jump on 14 October 2012, when he descended from the stratosphere and became the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall.

Felix Baumgartner was an Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper best known for the Red Bull Stratos jump on 14 October 2012, when he descended from the stratosphere and became the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall. He died in a paragliding accident in Italy in 2025.

What it was: The Red Bull Stratos jump

On 14 October 2012, Baumgartner ascended in a helium balloon from Roswell, New Mexico, and jumped from an altitude of roughly 39 kilometres. The freefall lasted about 4 minutes 20 seconds, and he landed by parachute in the New Mexico desert. The jump was a globally broadcast Red Bull project and set multiple world records.

Key details: Records and speed

Baumgartner reached a top speed estimated at 1,357.64 km/h (Mach 1.25), making him the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall. He also set records for highest exit altitude, longest freefall distance, and fastest vertical speed without a drogue parachute. The jump was a milestone in human flight and extreme sports.

Later life and legacy

After the Stratos jump, Baumgartner remained active in extreme aerial sports. He died on 17 July 2025 in a paragliding accident in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy. He is remembered as one of the most prominent figures in modern skydiving and BASE jumping, with his jump becoming a landmark event in the history of human flight.