GOOGLE'S ALAN EUSTACE BEATS BAUMGARTNER'S SKYDIVING RECORD (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by STANews , Friday, October 24, 2014, 20:26

A senior Google vice president, Alan Eustace, has broken the world altitude record for a parachute jump set in 2012 by Austrian Felix Baumgartner.

Mr Eustace was carried by a large helium balloon from New Mexico to over 40km (25 miles) above the earth.

The 57-year-old leapt out in a specially-designed space suit, reaching speeds of more than 1,300km/h.

He exceeded the speed of sound, setting off a small sonic boom, and broke three skydiving records in the process.

The dive was part of a project led by Paragon Space Development Corporation, aimed at the exploration of the stratosphere above 100,000 feet (30,480 metres).

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29766189