Good Luck Wishes for Felix Baumgartner in His Historic Supersonic Freefall Attempt

ORLANDO, FL, October 11, 2012 (Press-News.org) Stratos Jet Charters, one of the fastest growing jet charter companies in the U.S. and a nationwide leader in private jet charter flying, wishes Felix Baumgartner and the Red Bull Stratos Team every success in his upcoming attempt at supersonic flight during freefall.

Stratos Jet Charters is inspired by the history of human beings and their quest for flight, and the myriad advancements and capabilities that lie in our future. Stratos Jets partners with jet aircraft operators around the globe whose aircraft represent the cutting-edge in the rapidly evolving world of avionics, including new flat panel and HUD cockpit displays, satellite communications, weather radar and avoidance systems, and navigational systems.

Baumgartner and his Red Bull Stratos Team are attempting a history-making sky diving jump where Baumgartner will ascend to the edge of space - over 120,000 feet above his launch site in Roswell, New Mexico - and then become the first man to break the speed of sound in freefall, and thus the first ever to do so without the aid of a machine. It is anticipated that he will be traveling at close to 700 mph as quickly as 45 seconds into his jump. For comparison a Boeing 747 travels at roughly 600 mph or less. The list of questions that won't be answered until the actual mission is almost endless, starting with how the human body will respond to the shockwave of its own sonic boom.

Everything from the high altitude balloon and capsule, the pressure suit and helmet, the parachute and the hundreds of cameras being used, the near-space communications technology: almost nothing for this mission has been "off the shelf". A specially-designed launch capsule will bring Baumgartner to jump height by a special stratospheric balloon also created just for this flight. When fully-inflated, the 30 million cubic foot launch balloon is as tall as a 55-story building. Once at the prescribed height, Baumgartner will be relying on a pressurized space suit engineered especially for this mission by David Clark Co., which is one of the key pieces of technology created for this historic event that could serve future generations of space travelers. Sage Cheshire Aerospace built the Red Bull Stratos capsule and continues to develop other vital systems on-site. In fact, everything from a parachute that "thinks" for you with automatic safety systems, to a built-in gravity meter tasked with saving Felix's life was built on historical knowledge with the goal of preventing the "what-if's" inherent in a pioneering mission like this. Baumgartner hopes to help improve our scientific understanding of the stratosphere and how the body copes with the extreme conditions so high above the Earth's surface with this inspiring event.

We joined many millions around the globe for the initial launch date on October 9, 2012, filled with anticipation as we tuned in to witness the historic event live online. Covered from takeoff to touchdown by more than 35 cameras in the air and on the ground, the plan was for the live online broadcast to provide a firsthand experience of the entire mission. Unfortunately this initial launch had to be aborted due to strong winds.

From the Red Bull Stratos Team's mission control: "As we inflated the balloon and got Felix into the capsule at about 11:42 we experienced gust of wind ...that took us to above 22 knots at the peak of the balloon, that caused a spinnaker effect on the balloon billowing, which twists the balloon in the launch arm, the integrity of the balloon at that point is really unknown and unacceptable to use for manned flight because we were not sure what would happen as we launched".

The delay has not dampened the huge anticipation for the mission. "Historic events like this, ones that excite and awe the imagination, are a perfect way to get the public involved in the development of the aviation and space technologies that we need now and in the future," said Joel Thomas, President of Stratos Jet Charters. "With the reduced role and expenditures of government-run agencies such as NASA in the future, it's critical that the private sector steps up to help develop these technologies going forward. Missions such as the Red Bull Stratos project, and others within private companies such as Virgin Galactic, are what will lead us into this bright future. We wish Felix and his team good luck and Godspeed as he makes this attempt at human history," added Thomas.

A rescheduled launch date has not been announced, but is expected to come shortly. Stratos Jet Charters will be one of many that will share this new launch date via social media and other outlets once it is announced. In addition to redbullstratos.com/live, many leading websites and broadcasters around the globe will also carry the live stream. Other online destinations include:

Theaustralian.com.au
Dailytelegraph.com.au
Heraldsun.com.au
Krone.at
Redbull.at
melty.fr
t-online.de
Spiegel Online
pandora.tv
tvnz.co.nz
bbc.co.uk
guardian.co.uk
telegraph.co.uk
thetimes.co.uk
abc.com
CBS.com
FoxNews.com
natgeotv.com

Stratos Jet Charters provides air charter service for US-based businesses and individuals. They believe that their success has come from the relationships they have built through good experiences, not long-term contracts. It is the goal of their company to provide you with the exceptional service and attention to detail that earns the confidence of your repeat business. They provide air charter service that fits your schedule and can offer countless options to serve your needs. If you currently have an air charter service provider, please allow Stratos Jet Charters the opportunity to provide you with a competitive bid. They are sure that they can provide a level of service and convenience that will earn your repeat business.

Website: http://www.stratosjets.com