Roughly half an hour ago, skydiver Felix Baumgartner and his Red Bull Stratos team made history, with the fantastic ending of a safe landing. Baumgartner’s “voice of mission control” was none other than retired Air Force Col. Joe Kittinger, whose jump records set in 1960 Baumgartner was aiming to break, along with the record for the highest manned balloon flight: 113,740 feet, set in 1961 by Victor Prather & Malcom Ross.

Think about that. Fifty-one and -two years to break these records. Damn.

So how did he do?

The specific records set won’t be known absolutely until all the capsule and suit telemetry has been analyzed and vetted… but we know he made it. It was worth spending over two hours watching the live stream.

Congratulations, Felix, on setting these records and breaking the sound barrier on today of all days, the 65^th anniversary of Chuck Yeager doing the same in his X-1A plane. I’m sure your mom’s real glad you’re home in one piece.

Related articles

• Skydiver Makes World Record Jump From Space
• Felix Baumgartner Launches Space Jump Bid
• 65th Anniversary of Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane