Skydiver Felix Baumgartner breaks sound barrier in record jump from an altitude of 128,097 feet

Baumgartner reached a maximum speed of 833.9 mph

IN FLIGHT, UNSPECIFIED - In this photo provided by Red Bull, Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria steps out from the capsule during the second manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos on July 25, 2012 over Roswell, New Mexico.
Photographer: Jay Nemeth/Red Bull via Getty Images
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Posted: 10/15/2012

By: JUAN CARLOS LLORCA Associated Press

ROSWELL, N.M. - The first skydiver to break the speed of sound as he jumped from 24 miles above the Earth says "Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are."

According to preliminary data, Felix Baumgartner reached a maximum speed of 833.9 mph during his jump Sunday over the New Mexico desert..

That amounts to Mach 1.24, which is faster than the speed of sound. No one has ever reached that speed wearing only a high-tech suit.

Baumgartner came down safely in the eastern New Mexico desert about nine minutes after jumping from his capsule at an altitude of 128,097 feet. He lifted his arms in victory, sending off loud cheers from jubilant onlookers and friends.

After the jump, he said when he was standing there on top of the world, "you become so humble, you do not think about breaking records anymore, you do not think about gaining scientific data." As he put it, "The only thing you want is to come back alive."