www.universetoday.com/61467/skydiver-hopes-to-break-the-speed-of-sound-in-freefall/
The speed of sound - historically called the 'sound barrier' - has been broken by rockets, various jet-powered aircraft and rocket-boosted land vehicles. Felix Baumgartner wants to break the sound barrier with his body, in freefall from the edge of space. He will travel inside a capsule with a stratospheric balloon to 36,500 meters (120,000 feet) step out and attempt a freefall jump targeted to reach - for the first time in history - supersonic speeds.
"After years of training with my team of dedicated Red Bull Stratos experts, I'll be going on a journey that no one has ever done," Baumgartner told Universe Today in an email message. "If I succeed, I will be the first person to break the sound barrier, alone. That will be a record for all eternity. As such, a piece of me will become immortal. That excites me."
I stand to be corrected but I thought Kittinger jumped from about 100k feet, not sure how breaking the sound barrier plays out at that altitude.
edit: speed of sound changes with altitude ?
If he does manage to break the sound barrier for the given height he is at it wouldn't be much of a sonic boom. When a jet does it, he catches up to the sound of his aircraft and with jet engines at full thrust that's a lot of sound to compress, how much sound will a falling body make, stuff all I imagine. You couldn't afford to have a flapping suit and if there is no sound, there would be no sonic boom, maybe he will just get a sonic pop.
not sure on your logic there Mr. No-one. I'm no scientist but thought it was to do with air/ atmosphere being split apart then clapping back together. Nothing to do with the noise made by the engines. Happy to be corrected.
Assuming my logic is correct we can go on to assume j murrys fart (poo particles) would be squished tightly back together by the clap and land directly on Felix's helmet 3min 27 sec after he has landed (accounting for wind but assuming his parachute is no longer directly above him)
Also, Dawn Patrol, The video you posted briefly mentions travelling at the speed of sound which may not mean he went faster (breaking the speed of sound barrier) Did it say he broke the speed of sound in stuff written about the vid? If not, Felix might be the first.
I think both our theories could be right, don't see why just one is right. They would both happen at the same time, no point being single minded.
