This summer, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner will attempt to break the world record for the longest jump, plummeting more than 23 miles from the
Earth's stratosphere.
"I've done a lot of test jumps, so I'm good," Baumgartner confidently told Fox News before adding that he would "probably say a little prayer" before
making the jump that could literally make his blood boil if something goes wrong.
Baumgartner has been preparing with retired Air Force Col. Joe Kittinger, who set the current world record back in 1960 when he made a 102,000-foot
jump.
To prepare for the jump, Baumgartner will breath pure oxygen for nearly an hour to remove nitrogen bubbles from his blood. He will then stay at the
peak elevation for three hours, allowing his body to adjust. He will then jump in a pressurized suit that will prevent his blood from boiling at the
extremely high elevation.
And if all goes well, Baumgartner will set another world record during his jump, becoming the first human being to break the speed of sound in a
free-fall jump.
CNN reports that the pressurized suit worn by Baumgartner is similar to those worn by U-2 pilots but that even those highly skilled airmen rarely come
within 50,000 feet of his planned drop point.
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