<p><strong>This October, <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/austria-guide/">Austrian</a> sky diver <a href="http://www.redbullstratos.com/the-team/felix-baumgartner/">Felix Baumgartner</a> aims to execute the highest free fall in history. For 52 years that record has been held by U.S. Air Force pilot <a href="http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/Kittinger/EX31.htm">Joseph Kittinger</a>—shown above at the outset of his historic skydive.</strong></p><p>It was August 16, 1960. Kittinger had just uttered "Lord, take care of me now" and stepped out of his open-air, helium-balloon gondola, some 20 miles (31 kilometers) up. Thirteen minutes and 45 seconds later, he had traveled from the edge of space to <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/united-states/new-mexico-guide/">New Mexico</a> using only a pressurized suit and parachutes.</p><p>Designed in part to study high-altitude bailouts, much of the <a href="http://www.af.mil/information/heritage/spotlight.asp?id=123109977">Air Force project</a>, from training to touchdown, was captured in classic National Geographic pictures, re-presented here in anticipation of Baumgartner's expected sound barrier-shattering dive from 23 miles (37 kilometers) above the same spot.</p><p>(Also see <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121005-felix-baumgartner-skydive-science-sound-barrier-joseph-kittinger">"Supersonic Skydive's 5 Biggest Risks: Boiling Blood, Deadly Spins, and Worse."</a>)</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>—Nicholas Mott</em></p>