Baumgartner's Boom Heard?

Baumgartner’s Boom Heard?

Editorial Staff

Friday, October 26, 2012 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Experts believe a sound captured during Felix Baumgartner's record-setting 128,000-foot freefall on Oct. 14 is a sonic boom.
The identified sound's waveform is consistent with known sonic boom characteristics, and multiple ground observers reported hearing it as Baumgartner accelerated past 833 mph.
The team is currently analyzing data with sound experts and using NASA algorithms, GPS, and telemetry to definitively confirm the sonic boom and determine the precise moment Baumgartner achieved supersonic speed.

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Experts analyzing the timing and signature of a sound captured along with video footage shot from the ground during Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting Oct. 14 freefall from 128,000 feet believe it is a sonic boom, Red Bull said Friday. “The wave form of the sonic boom has been isolated and is consistent with existing ‘sonic boom characteristics’ data,” the company said. Four different groups of observers that were present in different areas local to the jump heard the sound as Baumgartner accelerated beyond 833 mph in supersonic freefall, according to Red Bull. “Everyone all at once said, ‘did you just hear that?’ We knew exactly what it was.” The team is analyzing data in hopes of removing all doubt.

The team is now working closely with sound experts who have isolated the double boom and are applying algorithms used by NASA to determine the exact moment Baumgartner, himself, went supersonic. GPS data and other telemetry information from Baumgartner’s chest pack are being used to help verify speeds and the timing of the sound.