Space Jump Date Finalized

For "Fearless Felix" Baumgartner, the countdown is on. The Austrian daredevil has been jumping from increasingly high altitudes for the past several months—all with the ultimate goal of leaping out of a high-tech, helium balloon-lifted pressurized capsule at a record-setting height of 120,000 feet (or 23 miles) to become the first man to break the speed barrier with his body. The whole shebang has been put on by Red Bull (who else?) in a project it calls Stratos. On his last practice run, wherein Baumgartner jumped from 97,145 feet, his capsule was damaged, delaying his final leap. But it's fixed.

While much is dependent on weather, the 46-year-old's supersonic fall has been scheduled for October 8. 

In case you've missed it in our earlier posts, here's a rendering of what his jump will look like. Hint: Both pants-pooping terrifying and mind-blowingly awesome. The thing that's struck us editors the most about this final act? That "Fearless Felix" has to actually take the final step out of the capsule. If it were us, we'd much rather the bottom fell out or his seat automatically ejected him, cartoon-style through a roof. But then again, that's probably why he's the "fearless" one.