Skydiver breaks speed of sound

October 14, 2012 at 11:08 a.m. | Updated October 14, 2012 at 4:18 p.m.

by The Associated Press

In this photo provided by Red Bull, Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria steps out from his trailer during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos in Roswell, N.M. on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2012. Baumgartner plans to jump from an altitude of 120,000 feet, an altitude chosen to enable him to achieve Mach 1 in free fall, which would deliver scientific data to the aerospace community about human survival from high altitudes.
In this photo provided by Red Bull, Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria steps out from his trailer during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos in Roswell, N.M. on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2012. Baumgartner plans to jump from an altitude of 120,000 feet, an altitude chosen to enable him to achieve Mach 1 in free fall, which would deliver scientific data to the aerospace community about human survival from high altitudes.

ROSWELL, N.M. — Officials say that Felix Baumgartner has become the first skydiver to break the speed of sound.

At a news conference, Brian Utley of the International Federation of Sports Aviation, says Baumgartner reached a maximum speed of 833.9 mph during his jump Sunday over the New Mexico desert.

That amounts to Mach 1.24, which is faster than the speed of sound. No one has ever reached that speed wearing only a high-tech suit.

Baumgartner came down safely in the eastern New Mexico desert about nine minutes after jumping from his capsule 128,097 feet, or roughly 24 miles, above Earth. He lifted his arms in victory, sending off loud cheers from jubilant onlookers and friends.

An interactive graphic on Baumgartner's jump can be seen here.

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