Baumgartner's Super Sonic Dive

TL;DR

Austrian thrill seeker Felix Balg Gardner jumped from the edge of space, breaking world records and the sound barrier.

Transcript

Austrian thrill seeker Felix balg Gardner just took and somehow survived his leap from the edge of space during which he broke five different world records as well as the freaking sound barrier this raises quite a number of sciency questions that I would like to answer for you question number one is this actually the edge of space no it's not it's ... Read More

Key Insights

• 👾 The border between Earth's atmosphere and space at 100 km is politically defined.
• 👱 Terminal velocity of skydivers is determined by the number of air molecules encountered during the fall.
• ✋ Higher altitudes pose increased dangers for jumps due to thinner atmosphere and higher terminal velocities.
• 💨 Gravity acts on objects even at great distances from Earth, preventing them from floating away.
• ❓ Thrill-seeking is an interesting topic that warrants further exploration and discussion.
• ❓ Understanding the scientific explanation behind thrill-seeking behavior could provide valuable insights.
• 👾 The YouTube channel mentioned in the content offers more information on the topic of weightlessness in space.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is the jump from the edge of space actually at the border of space?

No, the jump was made from 37 km, far from the politically defined border of space at 100 km. The border is arbitrary and doesn't reflect the scientific extent of Earth's atmosphere.

Q: Why don't all skydivers break the sound barrier?

Skydivers reach terminal velocity determined by the number of air molecules they encounter during their fall. At 37 km, where Balg Gardner jumped, there are significantly fewer air molecules, allowing him to surpass the speed of sound.

Q: Why didn't Balg Gardner jump even higher?

Balg Gardner jumped from a helium balloon which rises due to being less dense than air. However, the higher he would go, the less dense the atmosphere becomes, making it difficult to achieve a safe jump. Additionally, higher altitudes would increase terminal velocity, making the jump more dangerous.

Q: Why doesn't Balg Gardner float away if he's in space?

Balg Gardner is subject to gravity even at a great distance from Earth. Just like the Moon, which is stuck in Earth's gravity well, astronauts and Balg Gardner don't float away due to the force of gravity.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Felix Balg Gardner jumped from 37 km, not reaching the politically defined border of space at 100 km.

• Skydivers don't break the sound barrier due to the decreased number of air molecules at higher altitudes.

• Balg Gardner couldn't go higher than 37 km due to the dangers of thinner atmosphere and increased terminal velocity.