SKYDIVER FEARLESS FELIX JUMPS FROM 18 MILES UP
BY MARCIA DUNN
AP AEROSPACE WRITER
Skydiver “Fearless Felix” Baumgartner has done it again.
On Wednesday, Baumgartner took another stratospheric leap, this time from an altitude of more than 18 miles – an estimated 96,640 feet, nearly three times higher than cruising jetliners. He landed safely near Roswell, N.M. His top speed was an estimated 536 mph, said Brian Utley, an official observer on site.
It’s the second test jump for Baumgartner from such extreme heights and a personal best. He’s aiming for a record-breaking jump from 125,000 feet, or 23 miles, in another month. He hopes to go supersonic then, breaking the speed of sound with just his body.
“It has always been a dream of mine,” Baumgartner said….