Space jump daredevil tests suit -- with bungee

Updated at: 0909 PST, Friday, July 02, 2010 VIENNA: Felix Baumgartner - who plans to do a free-fall skydive from the edge of space - has tested his pressurised space suit by doing bungee jumps. During his Red Bull Stratos mission Baumgartner will use a helium balloon to float to the edge of space before plummeting back to Earth at speeds of 690mph. To make sure he is comfortable in his suit, which needs to protect against temperatures of -56C, his team are now conducting a series of tests which have included stepping-off from the actual capsule, high-altitude skydives and the bungee jumps -- carried out in a deserted fairground. But at just 200ft fall per bungee jump, Baumgartner will have to do 600 to match the 120,000ft he will fall during the actual jump . Speaking of the test bungee jumps, Technical Project Director Art Thompson said, "You wouldn’t normally think of a bungee jump in terms of prepping for a high-altitude jump, but it gives Felix the sensation of what it’s like to step off and try to control his forward rotation. Despite his elation with progress made so far, Baumgartner admits that he still has moments of concern. Noting that no amount of technological testing can ever rule out human error. "My biggest concern is that dangerous part of the project which we just haven’t thought of. We try to think of every contingency, but there’s always going to be something that you would never imagine could happen. And that might kill you," he said.