After aborting twice, the team behind the first space dive has no regrets and guaranteed that Felix Baumgartner’s historic jump will go ahead.
“It’s a time consumer but the project has gone too far not to go through with it,” Bob Olsen, general manager of Sage Cheshire Aerospace, responsible for the capsule and systems,” told Metro. “It was a tough call to abort but you have to roll with the punches. Don (Day) is the best meteorologist in the world and you can’t take chances when a human life is involved.”
Olsen added that the team was “not disheartened” and expressed confidence that success was just days away. “Once we have dead calm, the systems we built can withstand anything up there.”
The historic jump from 120,000 feet represents the highest jump in history and is likely to make the Austrian Baumgartner the first human to freefall at the speed of sound. The project has attracted global interest, and the aborted jumps have added pressure.
A Red Bull Stratos spokesperson confirmed that changes were being made ahead of the new launch date Sunday. “We are still working and refining new forecasts,” the spokesman said. The team has just one back-up balloon remaining.
