Felix Baumgartner is set for an Oct. 8 attempt to freefall from an altitude of 120,000 feet near Roswell, N.M., breaking the sound barrier along the way, and a record that's stood for more than half a century. The jump will be the culmination of the Red Bull Stratos project, which began in 2005. It aims to best USAF Col. Joe Kittinger's 1960 record for jumping from 102,000 feet and landing safely with a parachute. The team suffered a setback in July, when a practice run from more than 97,000 feet saw Baumgarnter reach 537 mph in freefall. He landed safely, but his 2,900-pound capsule did not, suffering minor damage. The team now says it's ready to go. In Baumgartner's words, "I feel like a caged tiger waiting to get out."
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