Austrian skydiving expert Felix Baumgartner is not only the trained test jump pilot who will carry out the Red Bull Stratos jump; he is the visionary who initially conceived the mission. Although his record-breaking ccomplishments already include such meticulously planned endeavors as flying across the English Channel with a carbon wing, with Red Bull Stratos he’ll attempt to take his achievements to an entirely new level. Here, Felix talks about how Red Bull Stratos came to be, and why it holds such potential for overcoming human boundaries in flight.

How did Red Bull Stratos evolve?

Felix Baumgartner: I had considered the idea of a jump from near space a number of times, first in 2004, when Ivan Trifonov told with me about his ideas for such a mission. Trifonov is a balloonist who considered a similar project for many years; but he felt he had become too old to realize his dream. I heard about the concept again from Per Lindstrand, another balloonist, who had been working with Richard Branson on an around-the-world balloon flight. Those partners considered making an attempt at Joe Kittinger’s records, but they ultimately decided not to take on such a momentous project in addition to their other plans.

Then I met Art Thompson, an aircraft designer and aerospace expert who had been involved in the B2 Stealth program. It felt right with Art. Art is now in charge of assembling and coordinating the team, and Red Bull, of course, is the primary driver of the mission.

What do you think will be the most critical moment of this mission?

Felix Baumgartner: What we have learned from high-altitude flights in the past is that pretty much everything from the beginning of the launch till my safe landing back on Earth can and will be critical. That’s why it is so important to have the perfect fit of a crew I can rely on. But, of course, the critical nature of survival in extreme environments is exactly why we’re undertaking this mission in the first place. We’re eager to break a record by exceeding the speed of sound, but we’re also eager to address the situations that may be faced by future pilots and astronauts.

Record holder Joe Kittinger jumped from 102,800 feet in 1960. Now, a half-century later, you will go 18,000 feet higher – how big is this step, really?

Felix Baumgartner: It’s extremely difficult to increase the altitude because of the tremendous complexity involved in the environment of near space. At first, we had planned to go to 160,000 feet; however, you can’t simply go up as high as you want. It’s a matter of physics – we’re already taking a step into the unknown, but at least at our target altitude of around 120,000 feet we can made good estimations.

I’ll give you some examples pertaining to just one factor of the mission: the volume of the balloon: A hot-air balloon has a capacity, or volume, of about 2.6 million cubic feet, whereas our Red Bull Stratos high-altitude balloon requires a volume of approximately 29 million cubic feet – it’s like comparing a bathtub to an Olympic swimming pool. If I wanted to ascend beyond our target altitude of 120,000 feet to reach 130,000 feet, the capacity of the balloon would have to be 40 million cubic feet to ensure success. It’s extremely risky to go higher than our planned altitude.

Why are you using essentially the same technology as Joe Kittinger used for ascent 50 years ago – a polyethylene balloon filled with helium – instead of something more advanced like a rocket plane?

Felix Baumgartner: Ballooning is still the fastest and most cost-efficient route to near space – and the most ecologically friendly, as well. Nothing can be more elegant and simple than a balloon.

So do you have a technological advantage compared to Joe Kittinger’s mission in 1960?

Felix Baumgartner: Yes, we have several, and it is those advantages that will allow us to take this mission to unprecedented altitudes. For example, Joe didn’t have a pressurized gondola; he relied only on his pressure suit. Because we’re really pushing to the limits in this mission, for safety reasons we’ll use both a pressurized capsule and a specially modified full-pressure suit – each serves as a backup system for the other. And what’s advanced the most since Joe’s mission is, of course, the computer technology available to collect data, as well as the capabilities of camera systems to capture the action. Still, however, these advancements don’t make the mission a sure thing.

Does this jump push the limits of the human body?

Felix Baumgartner: One of the unknowns is how a human body will react approaching supersonic speeds. The effects of the transition from subsonic through transonic to supersonic velocity and back again are not known. This is just one of the things we’ll learn. Looking at the bigger picture, it’s clear that we have a unique opportunity to support science in a very specific field. Maybe one day it will be possible to bring astronauts home safely from space if their spacecraft malfunctions. It sounds like a sci-fi scenario, but aeronautics is definitely moving in that direction.

Do you have any apprehension about this jump, this step into the unknown?

Felix Baumgartner: Of course; however, having been involved in extreme endeavors for so long I’ve learned to use my fear to my advantage. Fear has become a friend of mine. It’s what prevents me from stepping too far over the line. On a mission like this, you need to be mentally fit and have total control over what you do.

What drives you to take such risks?

Felix Baumgartner: Jacques Piccard, the legendary oceanographer who in 1960 made a historic descent to the deepest point in the world’s oceans, once said, “There is a driving force in every one of us which does not let us rest as long as we can go one step further.” This urge to understand things beyond our current understandings and assumptions – a desire to expand our capabilities and confidence in a realm that is unexplored – is a driving force on our mission.

Would you say that the Red Bull Stratos mission will be the highlight of your career?

Felix Baumgartner: Ever since Red Bull and I got together twenty years ago, we have always tried to push our limits. The word “cannot” has never been in our vocabulary. Red Bull Stratos is a human experiment in an area that is largely unknown. It is a massive inspiration for everyone involved and definitely a milestone in our mutual history. I’m sure we will overcome the challenges through cooperation and support from our experts from the aerospace and aviation industries. With Red Bull Stratos, we will write history. So yes, this will be the highlight of my career so far, but there’s no telling where my next step will take me.

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See our previous article on the Stratos project if you missed video.

Read more:

• Red Bull Stratos official homepage