The jump Baumgartner, "sports a record first"

Crossing the sound barrier Felix Baumgartner he gave a stunt for Red Bull or participated in a breakthrough for science? For Bertrand Piccard, it is primarily a sporting achievement. Before their screens connected on YouTube, about 8 million users held their breath on Sunday night, when Felix Baumgartner lunged headfirst 39,000 meters. But after 4 minutes 19 drop and rampant some dangerous twists, Austrian adventurer opened his parachute and landed like a flower in the desert of New Mexico. And the man who was on his forearms tattooed "born to fly" ("born to fly") could then be delighted to have beaten three records: the first man to have broken the sound barrier in free fall , one of the highest altitude reached by a man in a balloon and the highest skydive. Five years of preparation and some 60.4 million francs invested in Red Bull Stratos mission will not have been in vain. But beyond a historic achievement that has to transcend human limitations, and a great stunt for Red Bull, which is the scientific interest of such a jump? To sponsor Felix Baumgartner, allows such a mission to advance aerospace medicine and develop new types of pressure suits that will provide space professionals as to potential space tourists, more safety. "Honestly, I do not know if it brings something to the science. In my opinion, it was not the purpose of this jump. There is not the same scientific goal when Joe Kittinger ( note: the previous record holder of the highest jump in freefall ) jumped in 1960 to prove that an astronaut could eject the rocket case problems. Felix Baumgartner jumping is essentially a record sports admirable and very well publicized, "notes the Swiss balloonist Bertrand Piccard, who made ​​this year's first intercontinental flight on a solar airplane. For its part, the former astronaut Patrick Baudry, entrusts BFMTV that this record is "more to science (...), because every time you realize something new, we advanced our knowledge and science. " A statement that leaves in the dark about the practical benefits of the feat. For the former NASA astronaut Leroy Chios, whose intervention on CNN was relayed by several French media, the technologies developed for the combination of Felix Baumgartner "will be incorporated into future spacesuits." Astronaut mentioned improved telemetry, sensors, recording and reporting of data to the ground. Finally, the performance of Felix Baumgartner shows especially the enthusiasm of private organizations to sponsor feats with technology. Exploits that were "previously funded by governments," as noted by Bertrand Piccard. And this change makes the science less present. But "it was beautiful jump. This is someone who was able to realize his dream with hard work and efficiency. And this is a beautiful message of self-transcendence, "says the Swiss driver.