Felix Baumgartner celebrates his historic feat of jumping from the edge of space to become the first human to break the speed of sound without a vessel. (Photo from www.redbullstratos.com)Felix Baumgartner’s live-streamed death-defying leap from the brinks of space is being billed as part scientific experiment and part daredevil reality show and most importantly, a historical accomplishment.
On Sunday, Baumgartner leapt from a balloon capsule more than 24 miles above the Earth’s surface. Not only did he complete the world’s highest jump, he shattered the sound barrier by plummeting more than 833.9 mph, becoming the first human to ever reach supersonic speed without traveling in a jet or any other vessel.
While the event is as awesome to this generation as Neil Armstrong’s 1969 walk on the moon, Baumgartner’s feat has even greater significance locally – and most people don’t even know it.
Well, it is Roswell, N.M., after all! Tony Marshall of Warsaw served on the telemetry team that broad Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking stunt to the world.Tony Marshall is probably best known as a member of the local band The Sock Monkeys and owner of Tony’s Teez screen printing company in Warsaw. But Marshall has been in Roswell, N.M., since Sept. 25 as part of a technical team that captured Baumgartner’s entire 24-mile jump from space making it possible for millions around the world to watch the event as it was happening.
Having worked in television for years, and most recently for 3G Wireless, a broadcast company in Glen Burnie, Md., Marshall can take some credit for the success of the live-streamed record-breaking skydive.
For the last three weeks, Marshall has been in Roswell, N.M., with 3G preparing the wireless links from the capsule Baumgartner jumped from, to the commander center and finally to the TV truck that fed the entire event to YouTube and more than 130 other digital outlets resulting in more than 8 million simultaneous views and proving the power of the Internet.
Marshall was part of the unique telemetry control which was specially developed for the capsule’s nine HD video cameras. 3G is a broadcast industry leader in providing wireless HD video, audio and remote production solutions to the television industry for live sports and news events.
Through his business, Tony’s Teez, Marshall also provided all of the T-shirts for the historical event.
On Sunday night, just hours after the successful jump, Marshall attended a celebration with Baumgartner and others involved in the mission. “I met Felix and Joe Kittinger,” said Marshall. “And the biggest hit was that this happened on the same day (the 65th anniversary of U.S. test pilot) Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier.”
Baumgartner’s Sunday stunt broke a record of retired United States Air Force Col. Joseph Kittinger who, in 1960, made history as he ascended to 102,800 feet and jumped to Earth, then setting four world records.
Felix Baumgartner celebrates his historic feat of jumping from the edge of space to become the first human to break the speed of sound without a vessel. (Photo from www.redbullstratos.com)
Tony Marshall of Warsaw was not only part of the technical team that captured Felix Baumgartner’s awesome 24 mile jump to Earth from the brinks of space, he also provided T-shirts for the feat from his screen printing business, Tony’s Teez.
Well, it is Roswell, N.M., after all! Tony Marshall of Warsaw served on the telemetry team that broad Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking stunt to the world.
