Red Bull Stratos lands at the Ontario Science Centre

Travelling exhibit makes Canadian debut on three-year anniversary of supersonic freefall

TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2015 /CNW/ - Free fall into science at the Ontario Science Centre! On October 14, 2012, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner, supported by a team of experts, ascended to 38,969 m (128,851 ft) in a stratospheric balloon and made a freefall jump, rushing toward the earth at supersonic speeds before parachuting to the ground. Ahead of the third anniversary of this record-breaking jump, the Science Centre welcomes Red Bull Stratos, an exhibit that highlights the equipment used in the mission, which includes Baumgartner's space suit and 1,450-kilogram (3,200-pound) capsule. 

"Baumgartner's jump from the edge of the earth's atmosphere exemplifies the human drive for exploration and discovery," said Dr. Maurice Bitran, CEO, Ontario Science Centre. "It also underscores the science and technology that made this mission possible. Through this exhibit, which makes its Canadian premiere at the Ontario Science Centre, visitors will be able to relive this daring quest and get an appreciation for the science, engineering, and risk taking behind this extraordinary record."

More than eight million people worldwide watched Baumgartner's jump in 2012 live on YouTube. Wearing only a spacesuit, and with a mere 10 minutes of oxygen on his back, Baumgartner jumped from the balloon's capsule and accelerated from 0 to 1357.6 km per hour – Mach 1.25 – in just 50 seconds before parachuting to the ground. Red Bull Stratos broke numerous world records, including several set by American Joseph Kittinger in 1960. The Red Bull Stratos mission also delivered valuable scientific data, serving to further the progress of aerospace safety, including the development of protocols for exposure to high altitude and supersonic acceleration and deceleration.

"Now major aerospace companies come to us for projects they can't accomplish in a short time frame – because they now know we can," commented Art Thompson of Sage Cheshire Aerospace, who was the Technical Director Red Bull Stratos. "One of the biggest satisfactions for me is though what it did for education, because it inspired millions of kids to start thinking about engineering in aerospace, thinking about other fields to apply to the sciences. That was one of the greatest paybacks for us."

The Red Bull Stratos exhibit opens at the Ontario Science Centre on October 9, 2015 and closes January 11, 2016. It is included with general admission to the Science Centre.

About the Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre has welcomed more than 50 million visitors since it opened in 1969, implementing an interactive approach adopted by science centres around the world. Today, the Science Centre is a leader in free-choice science learning and a key player in Ontario's innovation ecosystem, offering lifelong learning through hands-on, engaging experiences. It is a prime venue for public dialogue about science, technology and society. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. As a publicly assisted organization, the Science Centre relies on generous individuals, corporations and foundations who share a commitment to science and education for additional operating support. For more information about the Ontario Science Centre, please visit www.OntarioScienceCentre.ca.

About Red Bull Stratos
Red Bull Stratos was a mission to the edge of space in which, on October 14, 2012, professional BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner fulfilled a lifelong dream: jumping from a capsule suspended 39 kilometers / 24 miles above Earth by a helium balloon, he became the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall and established numerous additional records in the process. From its inception, the mission was developed as a flight test program for medical and scientific advancement in human flight, and results are being shared with the scientific community.

Free for editorial use, high-resolution photos and high-definition footage from the Red Bull Stratos project can be downloaded in the Red Bull Content Pool at www.redbullstratosnewsroom.com.

Pour consulter la version française de ce communiqué de presse, cliquez www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/Media/Details/416/  

SOURCE Ontario Science Centre

Image with caption: "Red Bull Stratos (CNW Group/Ontario Science Centre)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150923_C4007_PHOTO_EN_503217.jpg

Ryan Brown, Red Bull Communications, 416-542-7506, [email protected]; Anna Relyea, Director, Strategic Communications, Ontario Science Centre, 416-696-3273 | cell: 416-668-1967, [email protected]