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Felix Baumgartner jumps from edge of space

On October 14 adventurer Felix Baumgartner made history after successfully landing a record free-fall jump from the edge of space back to Earth.

The man known as 'Fearless Felix' had only been due to make the historic jump from just over 36.5km, but the capsule went higher than expected.

Shortly before jumping, in footage beamed live around the world, the 43-year-old former military parachutist recalled Neil Armstrong's first words on the moon: "Sometimes you have (to go) up really high to (understand) how small you are."

Baumgartner jumped from a space capsule more than 39km above the earth, reaching a top speed of 1342km/h, or 1.24 times the speed of sound in a world first achievement.

His biggest risk was spinning out of control, which could have exerted excessive G-force and made him lose consciousness. A controlled dive from the capsule was essential, putting him in a head-down position to increase speed.

Furthermore, any contact with the capsule on his exit could have torn his pressurised suit, a rip that could expose him to a lack of oxygen and temperatures as low as minus 57 degrees Celsius, causing lethal bubbles to form in his bodily fluids.

The descent lasted more than nine minutes. He fell over 36.5km in freefall for four minutes before floating down to the desert in New Mexico.

As part of the project, Baumgartner set the altitude record for a manned balloon flight, parachute jump from the highest altitude, and greatest free fall velocity.

He lifted his arms in victory shortly after landing, setting off loud cheers from jubilant onlookers and friends inside the mission's control centre in Roswell, New Mexico.

"I think 20 tonnes have fallen from my shoulders. I prepared for this for seven years," said Baumgartner in his first interview after the leap.

"When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about breaking records any more, you do not think about gaining scientific data.

"The only thing you want is to come back alive."

In 1974, a five-year-old Felix Baumgartner drew a picture of himself skydiving from next to the sun.

"When I did my first skydive on 23 August 1986 my mum handed it back to me and there it is. It is kinda interesting where your thought and vision is gonna take you," the Austrian daredevil said.

The picture Felix drew as a five-year-old, Photo: facebook
The picture Felix drew as a five-year-old, Photo: facebook