It was with sheer wonder and amazement that the world watched Felix Baumgartner’s white knuckle jump into the record books on Sunday, October 14th!  A helium balloon ascended to an incredible 128,000 feet at the edge of the stratosphere and we watched Felix begin his supersonic free fall which one can only describe as a kick ass ride.  It seems fitting that the mission launched from the town of Roswell, NM a place that is steeped in space exploration and UFO lore.  New Mexico is a pratically ideal place to launch a balloon due to its mostly sunny weather.  New Mexico is also the home of the Museum of Space History, White Sands testing and training facility and Spaceport America, where we will launch our trip to outer space on the Virgin Galactic rocket!

Fearless Felix had the world mesmerized as he stepped out of this capsule onto a platform the size of a skateboard and dove into the record books.

He is the first man to break the speed of sound in a freefall with his body with a maximum velocity of 833.9 miles per hour.  Felix achieved this feat 65 years to the day that Chuck Yeager did the same feat in a jet.

The balloon that took Felix to that incredible height is said to be the largest balloon ever made. With a height of 334.2 feet (the statue of Liberty from base to torch is about 304 ft or about 55 stories) and a capacity of 30 million cubic feet of helium.

I believe that it is because of people like Felix, with the fire of adventure and curiosity burning in his belly that we continue to find bigger and better ways to accommplish our goals.  We can never stop exploring and following our dreams.  Many had come before Felix and had lost their lives in the process.  I can imagine that in the future people will pay to fall to earth and feel the same exhilarating rush that I’m sure Felix experienced.  It makes me more excited as I await my turn, and I am – the Rocketman!