STRATOSPHERE, Planet Earth – Nokia has announced its support for a pioneering new project by Red Bull, that will see one man undertake a record-breaking free-fall jump from the edge of space. Later this year the Red Bull Stratos mission will see world famous skydiver Felix Baumgartner step out of a balloon capsule 23 miles above the Earth’s surface in an attempt to be the first human to break the sound barrier, accelerating over 35-seconds to Mach 1 speed – that’s about 690mph! Why? To see how the body reacts to such speeds and to gather unique medical and scientific data that will help future pioneers and developments pushing new frontiers.
The project neatly resonates with Nokia’s ethos towards research and innovation. So much so that Nokia stepped aboard as the official global mobile sponsor, and has now released an exclusive free Red Bull Stratos app (pictured) via the Ovi Store that will let you follow every step of the Stratos mission from anywhere via your mobile. Read on to get the full lowdown on this landmark project.
It’s been almost 50 years since a mission of this nature has been embarked upon – back in 1960, Colonel Joseph Kittinger performed a similar record-breaking free-fall jump from 19 miles above the Earth’s surface. And one of the great things about this mission is that he’s part of the team supporting Felix in his upcoming attempt to break the sound barrier in free-fall. To give you an understanding of how tough a challenge this truly is, skydivers typically reach a top speed of around 120mph – Felix will be attempting to shoot towards Earth six times faster. Supersonic. Alongside Colonel Kittinger, the Stratos mission sees Felix supported by a world-class team of leading scientists and specialists in aerospace technologies and medicine.
Part of supporting the mission has seen the release of an exclusive free Red Bull Stratos app through the Ovi Store. Download the bite-size sliver of software to your device and you’ll be able to follow the latest news, updates and scientific facts as preparations are made for the jump – including videos and photos from the mission. You’ll be able to watch live video of the jump streamed to your phone when the mission takes place, as well as keep track of Felix’s pulse as live biometrical data will also be fed live to your handset.
If you’re interested in staying up to date with the Red Bull Stratos mission you can download the mobile app here.
As always let us know what you think to this new collaboration below.