Plans for an Austrian daredevil to skydive from a balloon 23 miles over the New Mexico desert were on hold on Tuesday due to winds, but his team said the death-defying stunt could still happen later in the day.
Felix Baumgartner, a 43-year-old helicopter pilot, hot-air balloonist and professional skydiver, would break a longstanding altitude record and the sound barrier if the jump goes forward.
Weather will be key. Baumgartner's team issued a statement early Tuesday morning saying the launch of the massive but fragile helium balloon that would carry him to an altitude of 120,000 feet above Roswell, N.M., had been delayed until at least 9:30 a.m. EDT.
The delay was prompted by winds at about 700 feet above the launch site, the team said.
It was not immediately clear how long the window for the possible launch would remain open but it takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to reach 120,000 feet.
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