It was announced today that the world’s largest and most significant collections of aviation and space artifacts, the National Air and Space Museum in our nation’s capital, will host the next and final stop of Red Bull Stratos: Mission to the Edge of Space exhibit and significant mission artifacts will be added to the museum’s permanent collection.
The Red Bull Stratos mission served to further the progress of aerospace safety, including the development of protocols for exposure to high altitude and supersonic acceleration and deceleration. From April 2 through May 26, Patrons will be able to see the equipment used in the mission, including Baumgartner’s space suit and 3,200-pound capsule, and relive the extraordinary achievement of Felix Baumgartner and the Red Bull Stratos team in the mission to the edge of space.
“We are very pleased to welcome the Red Bull Stratos capsule, pressure suit and parachute into our collection”, said Tom Crouch, Senior Curator of Aeronautics at the National Air and Space Museum. “These historic items will be preserved for future generations to study and enjoy.”
The capsule and space suit will eventually be displayed in the museum’s permanent collection at its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, alongside historic space artifacts like the Space Shuttle Discovery and a NASA android.
About Red Bull Stratos
On October 14, 2012, Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper, Felix Baumgartner, completed a record-breaking jump from 127,852 feet, the edge of space, and reaching 843.6 mph/Mach 1.25, becoming the first human to break the speed of sound in free-fall exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane. Baumgartner, the 44-year-old skydiving expert and helicopter pilot, also broke two other world records: highest free-fall and longest-distance freefall, leaving the record for the longest time in free-fall to project mentor Col. Joe Kittinger.
More than eight million people worldwide watched Baumgartner’s jump live on YouTube alone as he challenged human limits and helped advance scientific and medical research.
About Red Bull Media House
A global media company, Red Bull Media House produces, publishes, distributes and licenses high-quality sport, entertainment and educational programming from the areas of Sport & Lifestyle, Nature & Science and Tradition & Inspiration. Its product portfolio includes sport and lifestyle programming, documentaries, feature films, music, games and mobile apps, as well as print and online magazines, that fascinate and inspire audiences all over the world –through all media channels and on all types of devices. www.redbullmediahouse.com.
The company’s centralized media hub, the Red Bull Content Pool, provides access to high-resolution imagery and HD moving images for editorial use, as well as licensable content in the Premium section.www.redbullcontentpool.com
