Sky Diving, at Mach 1.24
Oct. 14th, 2012 08:34 pmROSWELL, N.M. — A man fell to Earth from more than 24 miles high on Sunday, becoming the first human to break the sound barrier under his own power — with some help from gravity.
Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian daredevil, made the highest and fastest jump in history after ascending a helium balloon to an altitude of 128,100 feet. As millions around the world experienced the vertiginous view from his capsule’s camera, which showed a round blue world surrounded by the black of space, he stepped off into the void and plunged downward, reaching a maximum speed measured at 833.9 miles per hour, or Mach 1.24.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/us/felix-baumgartner-skydiving.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0