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Using a helium-filled stratospheric balloon, Australian athlete Felix Baumgartner hopes to become the first parachutist to break the sound barrier. In the process, Baumgartner has his eye on breaking four long-standing records.

The helium balloon used is made of polyethylene film and is ten times thinner than a typical latex party balloon. Baumgartner’s balloon will hold 821,000 cubic meters of helium, 29 million times the helium used in a common party balloon.

A capsule connected to the helium balloon will take Baumgartner to an altitude of 120,000 ft, where he will begin his freefall. If completed successfully, he would hold the records for highest altitude for a manned balloon flight, the greatest altitude and greatest distance for a freefall, as well as the fastest speed for a freefall. The current record for altitude was set by Colonel Joseph Kittinger in 1960, who jumped out of a balloon at 102,000 ft.

Baumgartner is working with a team of aeronautics experts to prepare for the task, including Kittinger himself. Team engineers designed the balloon, capsule and suit that will be used in the jump. Scientists are uncertain as to how Baumgartner’s body will react to the freefall at such great acceleration. They estimate that it will take 35 seconds to reach Mach 1, the speed of sound. The team hopes that the results will provide valuable medical and scientific research data.

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