By: Grace Ehlinger [Ads Editor]

On Sunday, October 14 the sound barrier was broken for the first time by a skydiver in freefall. Austrian Felix Baumgartner, 43, took a huge risk by jumping out of a capsule 128,100 feet, or 24 miles, above Earth, and in the process, breaking the world record for the highest freefall.

This 10 minute-long dive was incredibly valuable for researchers everywhere, including developers of high-performance, high-altitude parachute systems. The data recorded will also be used during the development of new emergency evacuations from vehicles, like spacecraft, as they pass through the stratosphere. All the data that Baumgartner recorded on a micro card in his chest pack will be very useful for years to come.

Preparing for this dive took years of extensive research and experimentation. Several factors of this jump made the whole stunt very dangerous including the temperature, air breathability, and the effects of air pressure on his body. Luckily, Baumgartner decided to go ahead with his goal.

Because of the unbelievable commitment of going through the whole process of preparing for this jump, Felix Baumgartner has provided information that will be integral to the development of many new and extremely important projects that will benefit the world. This life-threatening venture was well worth the work and dedication.