Man lands after 23-mile skydive

Oct 14 2012

Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner has landed on Earth after a jump from the stratosphere in what could be the world's first supersonic skydive.

Baumgartner landed in eastern New Mexico desert minutes after jumping from 28,000 feet (8,534 meters), or 24 miles (38.6 kilometers).

He lifted his arms in victory shortly after landing.

He took off in a pressurised capsule carried by a 55-storey ultra-thin helium balloon. He jumped from more than three times the height of the average cruising altitude for jet planes.

Baumgartner was expected to hit a speed of 690 mph before activating his parachute about 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above the ground in south-eastern New Mexico.

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