Was the Red Bull Stratos Jump A Publicity Stunt?

On Sunday morning millions of people watched Felix Baumgartner's high-altitude jump. The jump, which was a world record 128,000 feet high, broke the previous record held by Joe Kittinger in 1962. The mission, which was dubbed "Red Bull Stratos," was intended to gather scientific information about astronautical equipment, high-altitude and high-speed environments and to develop protocols for astronauts exiting in space.

Felix Baumgartner as he jumps out of the capsule and begins his descent back to Earth.

The mission was completely funded by Red Bull and took the last seven years to research, plan and execute. Critics of the mission argue that it was not a scientific mission as much as it was a publicity stunt for Red Bull. The critics say that there were no substantial data gained from the jump that scientists did not previously have knowledge of. The technology that Baumgartner used in his space suit and the capsule that he rode into the stratosphere, tested no new innovations and used previously tested technology.

Critics also argue that it was a publicity stunt because Red Bull was inaccurately referring to the jump as, "The Jump From Space," when in reality, Baumgartner's jump was roughly 40 miles below the "space" boundary. The critics also say that Red Bull did a horrible job presenting viewers with a history lesson about the first jump from a similar altitude in 1962 by Joe Kittinger. Red Bull focused more on promoting the event and its own brand rather than educating viewers and striving to make any "real" scientific discovery.

Whether it was a publicity stunt or a scientific mission, Red Bull and Felix Baumgartner have pushed the limits in human aviation and should be credited for their bravery and dedication to advancing astronautical equipment. The jump can be seen here.