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Felix Falls

Short answer: Felix Baumgartner was an Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper. On October 14, 2012, in the Red Bull Stratos project, he rode a pressurized capsule under a helium balloon from Roswell, New Mexico, and stepped off at 38,969.4 m (127,852 ft).

Red Bull's final mission data say he went supersonic 34 seconds into the fall and reached 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mph), Mach 1.25, at 50 seconds. He became the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall without a vehicle. He was in freefall for 4 minutes 20 seconds, and the whole descent from jump to landing took 9 minutes 18 seconds. The FAI, air sports' world governing body, ratified three world records from the jump: exit altitude, maximum vertical speed and freefall distance (36,402.6 m). It now lists the exit-altitude record as superseded, while the speed and freefall-distance records still stand. Baumgartner died on July 17, 2025, aged 56, when he lost control of a motorized paraglider over Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy, and crashed at a resort. The investigating prosecutor later said the crash was caused by human error and found no technical fault with the equipment. This Reel was posted about four weeks after his death and doesn't mention it.

VideoWrite-up5 sources

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What should you know about Felix Falls?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. Baumgartner jumped from 38,969.4 m on October 14, 2012.

    DD-637-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump)

  2. He reached 1,357.6 km/h, Mach 1.25, in freefall.

    DD-637-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit B (Supersonic)

Video transcript: Felix Falls: Faster Than Sound, With No Engine

DID YOU KNOW? In 2012, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner made a record-breaking jump from the stratosphere, leaping from a helium balloon at about 39 km, or 24 mi. above Earth. Wearing a pressurized suit to survive near vacuum conditions and extreme temperatures, he reached free fall speeds of 1,357 kph, or 843 mph, breaking the sound barrier without mechanical propulsion. His descent lasted just over nine minutes with about four and a half minutes in free fall. NOW YOU KNOW!

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 29.1s Reel ·

Video coming soonFelix Falls · Instagram Reel
Felix Falls: Faster Than Sound, With No Engine Instagram Reel · · 29.1s

The write-up

Faster than sound, with no engine. Felix Baumgartner's 2012 jump from 38,969 m.

  1. Exhibit A

    The jump

    On October 14, 2012, Baumgartner stepped off a balloon capsule above Roswell, New Mexico, at 38,969.4 m.

  2. Exhibit B

    Supersonic

    He went supersonic 34 seconds into the fall and peaked at 1,357.6 km/h (Mach 1.25).

  3. Exhibit C

    The clock

    Freefall lasted 4 minutes 20 seconds, and the whole descent took 9 minutes 18 seconds.

  4. Exhibit D

    The records

    The FAI ratified three records. The exit-altitude record has since been superseded, but speed and freefall distance still stand.

  5. Exhibit E

    His death

    Baumgartner died on July 17, 2025, aged 56, in a motorized paragliding crash in Italy, which a prosecutor later attributed to human error.

Questions people ask about Felix Falls

When did Baumgartner make his stratosphere jump?

October 14, 2012.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

Where did the Red Bull Stratos balloon launch from?

Roswell, New Mexico.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

What was his top speed?

1,357.6 km/h, or 843.6 mph.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Supersonic) · Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

How long was he in freefall?

Red Bull's final data.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The clock) · Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

Which of his records has since been superseded?

The FAI lists the altitude record as superseded.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The records) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; FAI records database: Felix Baumgartner

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. When did Baumgartner make his stratosphere jump?

    1. October 14, 2012
    2. July 20, 1969
    3. January 1, 2000
    4. June 6, 2015
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. October 14, 2012 October 14, 2012. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

  2. Where did the Red Bull Stratos balloon launch from?

    1. Roswell, New Mexico
    2. Salzburg, Austria
    3. Cape Canaveral, Florida
    4. Reno, Nevada
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Roswell, New Mexico Roswell, New Mexico. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

  3. What was his top speed?

    1. Mach 1.25
    2. Mach 0.5
    3. Mach 3
    4. Mach 10
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Mach 1.25 1,357.6 km/h, or 843.6 mph. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Supersonic) · Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

  4. How long was he in freefall?

    1. 4 minutes 20 seconds
    2. 30 seconds
    3. 15 minutes
    4. 1 hour
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. 4 minutes 20 seconds Red Bull's final data. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The clock) · Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data

  5. Which of his records has since been superseded?

    1. Exit altitude
    2. Maximum vertical speed
    3. Freefall distance
    4. None of them
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Exit altitude The FAI lists the altitude record as superseded. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The records) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; FAI records database: Felix Baumgartner

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Felix Falls." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-637, last updated Aug 15, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/felix-falls/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/felix-falls/ · Last updated

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Cite a single fact by its ID, for example DD-637-F01 → https://detailenjoyer.com/case/felix-falls/#DD-637-F01

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