After riding the Man of Steel attraction at Six Flags recently, I thought that I had ascended to heretofore unforeseen heights, freefalling for seconds that seemed like minutes. That is like swan diving into a kiddie pool compared to what Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner did last year as part of the Red Bull Stratos project, which was a heady brew of science, extreme sports and high octane caffeine.

In the end, Baumgartner successfully completed a record-setting 127,851-foot jump, setting a new height mark and becoming the first person to exceed the sound barrier in free fall. They say that pride goeth before the fall, but in Baumgatner’s case, it must have returned 128,000 feet later once he was back on solid ground.

Now, Red Bull has released the full, unexpurgated POV video of Baumgartner’s fall, a thrill ride that would put even something as breathtaking as Gravity to shame. Relive the high tension drama as Baumgartner spirals out of control shortly into the jump, all the while approaching his top speed of Mach 1.25 (844 mph)! Marvel as he calmly, collectedly uses his arms to regain his balance and stabilize his fall! Excuse yourself to the restroom and put on a fresh pair of underwear!

That’s not all Red Bull has for those interested in the Stratos project. They’ve also released a full-length documentary about the intiative, which you can watch here. Then, when you’re done with that, watch this awesome video in which a GoPro camera is strapped to an eagle, because why not?

[HT: Wired]