Extreme Skydiver Takes Epic Dive From Edge of Space

Regular old skydiving just not thrilling enough? Then consider this extreme jump made by Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner from 13 miles up just at the edge of space. Last Friday, Baumgartner dove off a high-altitude helium balloon at a height of 71,851 feet, becoming only the third person in history to do so.

Baumgartner, who's made 2,500 jumps from planes and helicopters, took a three-minute, 43-second free fall and accelerated to a whopping 364.4 mph. All told, the jump took more than 8 minutes and landed him near Roswell, NM.

Incredibly, this jump was just a trial run for a more spectacular feat that Baumgartner has planned later this summer. The daredevil plans to make a record-breaking jump from 120,000 feet -- or 23 miles -- and shatter the sound barrier with his body in the process.

Not surprisingly, Baumgartner has attracted the attention of NASA, who is looking into his jumps as a possible method of emergency escape for astronauts. Who says skydiving is all about the adrenaline rush? Turns out it can help people as well.