back to article Edge-of-space skydiver grounded by ANOTHER bout of bad wind

Skydiving Felix Baumgartner, his mind filled with dreams of reaching supersonic speeds in the highest-ever free fall attempted by a human being... is still sitting in the desert twiddling his thumbs. Adverse winds over New Mexico, where he will attempt to land after his death-defying plummet from the edge of space, have once …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. ukgnome
    Unhappy

    It could be worse, I could be sitting the wrong side of a firewall with a stupid filtering of live streams.

    Oh FFS, it seems that I am.

    1. Psyx

      I'm rather hoping it gets delayed until knocking-off-o-clock.

      Although - if needs be - I notice the IT boys haven't blocked *their* Youtube access...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Evidently

    This is God ensuring man won't pass the sound barrier unaided.

    1. Ru

      Re: Evidently

      Does gravity not count as aid?

      1. Evil Auditor Silver badge

        Re: Evidently

        @Ru

        As any fule* kno: No. Gravity is god-given to ensure that men doesn't reach outer space without aid.

        *creationists etc.

        1. Spider
          Pirate

          Re: Evidently

          No such thing as gravity, just the loving pressure pushing down from his noodly appendage

          (jolly roger for the pirates obviously!)

    2. nichobe

      Re: Evidently

      Unaided?.... did you miss the weather balloon, space capsule and oxygen suit?

      1. Thomas 4

        Re: Evidently

        What, you mean you want him to pass the sound barrier *alive*?

        People are so damn picky sometimes.

  3. ISYS
    Happy

    They are rolling the balloon out now. Preparing for launch!

  4. stucs201
    Joke

    grounded by ANOTHER bout of bad wind

    Well he really should lay off the beans then; especially when wearing a spacesuit.

    1. Tank boy

      Re: grounded by ANOTHER bout of bad wind

      "Well he really should lay off the beans then; especially when wearing a spacesuit."

      A difficult prospect in New Mexico...

    2. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Re: grounded by ANOTHER bout of bad wind

      Well he really should lay off the beans then; especially when wearing a spacesuit.

      That's why it has been made difficult to smoke inside a space suit..

    3. Mips
      Childcatcher

      Re: grounded by ANOTHER bout of bad wind

      Thought you were going to comment about another flameout (like Falcon 9)

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Currently reads:

    Red Bull Stratos mission resumes

    Balloon layout has begun

    Standby for Update at 9:30 AM (MDT)

    Which is 4:30 PM BST

  6. ISYS
    Go

    Learn from PARIS

    The team sponsored by RedBull are spending all day fannying about waiting for zero wind so that they can get the balloon inflated.

    I seem to remember that when PARIS was launched, the team sponsored by whatever guest ale was available assembled in a layby and a bunch of slightly hung over blokes (one of whom was smoking a cigarette) were struggling to inflate their balloon in quite windy conditions.

    Once launched they waited until the balloon popped and then all jumped in their cars and drove around Spain for a bit until they eventually found PARIS in amongst some trees.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Learn from PARIS

      Well that's the difference between good old British lets-give-it-a-go and teutonic thoroughness. Works for balloons - less well for the car industry.

  7. Alan Bourke

    Not edge of space.

    Edge of space 60 odd miles. Felix 23 miles. Still awesome.

    1. Flugal

      Re: Not edge of space.

      The edge of the edge, perhaps?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not Ti, Not U, W

    Titanium is the wrong analogy to use for this man's testicles. Titanium is tough, but springy. This man's stones are hard and dense - like tungsten.

    And before anybody says it: tungsten is both harder and more dense (by just a scoshe) than uranium - but it isn't pyrophoric like uranium, hence why penetrating ammunition uses DU rather than W.

    1. Pirate Dave Silver badge
      Pirate

      Re: Not Ti, Not U, W

      perhaps, but tungsten tends to shatter on impact. At least my TIG welding electrodes do.

      1. TeeCee Gold badge

        Re: Not Ti, Not U, W

        The Starstreak missile system uses that to effect. One missile splits into three "darts" (effectively unpowered mini-missiles, each with its own guidance) once the boost phase completes. The casing of each dart is tungsten, which fragments when the small explosive charge inside detonates, tearing the living shit out of the aircraft it hit with the resulting very hard and sharp pieces of shrapnel.

    2. Peter Murphy
      Stop

      Re: Not Ti, Not U, W

      I hope his testes are metaphorically tungsten. No-one would blame him if wanted to use them immediately afterward. Having them click together like castanets would put anybody off their game.

      It's his skull I'm more worried about. When he drops, he's going head first, with only a helmet separating it from the shock wave. Best of luck to the man.

  9. SirDigalot

    one small step for a man...

    my kerbals have him beat...

  10. Tank boy
    Meh

    Not today...

    Too bad it got scrubbed again. Maybe Thursday.

  11. vilemeister
    Happy

    Nice Headline..

    Even made it to the BBC Radio 4 News Quiz!!!

This topic is closed for new posts.