Daredevil jumper completes 17-mile dive

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ROSWELL, N.M., July 25 (UPI) -- Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped from a balloon parked on the edge of space Wednesday, spent 5 minutes in free fall, then parachuted to earth.

The stunt in Roswell, N.M., five years in planning and sponsored by Red Bull energy drinks, involved getting a 210-foot tall balloon to an altitude of 90,000 feet, or 17.04 miles, a death-defying dive and a 7- to 10-minute glide back to earth by parachute, ABC News reported Wednesday.

Records Baumgartner intended to break included free fall from the highest altitude, longest free fall time, the highest manned balloon flight, and the first person to break the sound barrier while outside an aircraft.