by editor | Oct 15, 2012 | Lead Story
Felix Baumgartner Completes Record “Jump From The Edge Of Space”
BREAKING NEWS: Austrian BASE jumper breaks record for highest ever freefall
SUNDAY 14th OCTOBER 2012 – ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO: After flying to an altitude of 39,044 meters (128,097 feet) in a helium-filled balloon, Felix Baumgartner completed a record breaking jump for the ages from the edge of space, exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane. The 43-year-old Austrian skydiving expert also broke two other world records (highest freefall, highest manned balloon flight), leaving the longest freefall record to project mentor Col. Joe Kittinger.
Baumgartner landed safely in the desert of New Mexico after jumping out of his space capsule at 39,044 meters and plunging back towards earth, hitting a maximum of speed of 1,137 km/h through the near vacuum of the stratosphere before being slowed by the atmosphere later during his 4:19-minute long freefall. Baumgartner’s jump lasted a total of 9:03 minutes. Countless millions of people around the world watched his ascent and jump live on television broadcasts and live stream on the internet. At one point during his freefall Baumgartner appeared to spin rapidly, but he quickly re-gained control and moments later opened his parachute as members of the ground crew cheered and viewers around the world heaved a sigh of relief.
“It was an incredible up and down today, just like it’s been with the whole project,” a relieved Baumgartner said. “First we got off with a beautiful launch and then we had a bit of drama with a power supply issue to my visor. The exit was perfect but then I started spinning slowly. I thought I’d just spin a few times and that would be that, but then I started to speed up. It was really brutal at times. I thought for a few seconds that I’d lose consciousness. I didn’t feel a sonic boom because I was so busy just trying to stabilize myself. We’ll have to wait and see if we really broke the sound barrier. It was really a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.”
Baumgartner and his team spent five years training and preparing for the mission that is designed to improve our scientific understanding of how the body copes with the extreme conditions at the edge of space.
Baumgartner had endured several weather-related delays before finally lifting off under bright blue skies and calm winds on Sunday morning. The Red Bull Stratos crew, watching from Mission Control, broke out into spontaneous applause when the balloon lifted off.
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by editor | Oct 12, 2012 | Lead Story
Exceptional Character Cocktails Designed for the GREY GOOSE® Winter Ball to Benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation
GREY GOOSE vodka unveils its bespoke collection of cocktails designed especially for the GREY GOOSE Winter Ball to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation, in collaboration with this year’s character partners Emeli Sandé, Labrinth, Gareth Pugh, Ellen von Unwerth and Karim Rashid.
The internationally acclaimed and star studded event, now in its sixth year, will be taking place at Battersea Power Station on Saturday 10 November, with a theme of 1950’s Cote D’Azur. Guests will be transported from a chilly autumn evening in London to a scene reminiscent of the Riviera in its heyday, where poolside glamour, palm trees and pastel colour schemes abound.
The GREY GOOSE Winter Ball to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation will begin with a glittering reception, where guests will be invited to sip bespoke cocktails created by each of the evening’s incredible partners. GREY GOOSE ambassador Joe McCanta has worked with each of them to construct a cocktail that either perfectly encapsulates their individual character and style, or that pays homage to the evening’s theme.
As well as designing their own bespoke cocktails for the evening, Ellen Von Unwerth, Gareth Pugh and Karim Rashid will also be donating a portable cocktail bar for auction that they have designed especially. Labrinth and Emeli Sandé will treat guests to a dazzling musical performance following a spectacular Mediterranean dinner, courtesy of The Connaught’s two Michelinstarred Head Chef Hélène Darroze.
Using pioneering techniques in mixology, some of the cocktails will invoke guests’ senses to immerse them completely in their surroundings. Labrinth’s Une Journée A La Plage is a sensory drink that combines GREY GOOSE and banana liqueur with notes of coconut, pineapple and lime, topped with a parasol infused with the scent of summer.
The evening’s guests will also be able to sip Emeli Sandé’s Poolside Martini. Elegant, calm and sophisticated, this azure blue cocktail captures the essence of a 1950’s poolside scene with a stylish combination of GREY GOOSE Le Citron, vanilla and thyme, accessorised with a white beach towel.
Gareth Pugh’s Grey Goose La Boite Poire is served in an iconic black box that is inspired by the designer’s collections. Sweet and salty, this drink features GREY GOOSE La Poire, French tarragon syrup and fresh lime, served over ice with a coriander-black-salt rim.
Ellen Von Unwerth‘s cocktail, the GREY GOOSE Golden Angel, is a rich, glamorous drink inspired by 1920’s French Cabaret and the burnished gold and orange shades of the photographer’s cocktail bar. GREY GOOSE L’Orange and traditional French flavours are given a distinctive twist with a rare liqueur made from Pyrenean herbs and a decadent sprinkling of gold leaf.
Designer Karim Rashid’s cocktail, Grey Goose L’Avenir, is inspired by his minimalist bar design and his signature futuristic aesthetic. Intended as ‘the martini of the future’, this is a seductively tart and slightly bitter mix of GREY GOOSE and a host of super foods including pomegranate, milk thistle and quinine wine, housed in a metallic goblet and garnished with a glistening ice orb.
Tickets are available to purchase by contacting the charity on 020 7603 9996 or online at ejaf.com. 100% of the ticket price is donated directly to the Elton John AIDS Foundation (charity registration no 1017336).
GREY GOOSE Winter Ball to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation Cocktail Recipes
GREY GOOSE UNE JOURNÉE A LA PLAGE
INSPIRED BY LABRINTH
Recipe:
– 35ml GREY GOOSE vodka
– 10ml Gabriel Boudier crème de bananes
– 15ml Bahida coco de clement
– 10ml fresh lime juice
– 100ml fresh pineapple juice
Glass: Highball
Method: Shake and strain over crushed ice
Garnish: A pineapple leaf and a scented parasol
POOLSIDE MARTINI
‘INSPIRED BY’ EMELI SANDÉ
Recipe:
– 45ml GREY GOOSE Le Citron
– 15ml MARTINI Bianco
– 5ml French thyme liqueur
– 7.5ml French blue curaçao
– 1 dash French asparagus eaux-de-vie
Glass: GREY GOOSE coupette
Method: Stir and strain
Garnish: Lemon zest (discarded) and a miniature rolled
up towel
GREY GOOSE LA BOITE POIRE
INSPIRED BY GARETH PUGH
Recipe:
– 35ml GREY GOOSE La Poire
– 20ml French tarragon syrup
– 25ml fresh lime juice
Glass: Black box
Method: Shake and strain over perfect cubed Hoshizaki ice
Garnish: Rim the box with coriander-black salt
GREY GOOSE GOLDEN ANGEL
INSPIRED BY ELLEN VON UNWERTH
Recipe:
– 35ml GREY GOOSE L’Orange
– 5ml Green Chartreuse
– 15ml French liqueur de coscoll
– 25ml pink grapefruit juice
– 60ml French apricot juice
Glass: Rocks
Method: Shake and strain over cubed ice
Garnish: A gold straw and fresh apricot sprinkled with
gold dust
GREY GOOSE L’AVENIR
INSPIRED BY KARIM RASHID
Recipe:
– 35ml GREY GOOSE vodka
– 20ml fresh lemon
– 15ml rosehip cordial
– 10ml Americano Cocchi
– 35ml superberry juice (tart cherry,
pomegranate, goji and aronia)
Glass: Metal goblet
Method: Shake and strain over an ice orb
Garnish: Ice orb
GREY GOOSE LE FIZZ
An elegant and refreshing combination of GREY GOOSE vodka, fresh lime juice and elderflower, served in a flute topped with chilled soda.
Ingredients:
35ml GREY GOOSE vodka
15ml Elderflower cordial
15ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
75ml Chilled soda water
Glass: GREY GOOSE flute
Method: Shake GREY GOOSE, lime and elderflower,
double strain into a flute glass and top with chilled
soda water.
Garnish: GREY GOOSE stirrer
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by editor | Oct 9, 2012 | Lead Story
Red Bull Stratos Project Update: Launch Aborted Due To Winds
Felix Baumgartner’s Record Breaking Jump From 120,000ft Delayed Due To Wind Gusts
Tuesday 9th October 2012 – Roswell, New Mexico – Felix Baumgartner’s attempt to jump from the edge of space had to be aborted at the last minute (11.42hrs MDT local time) due to wind gusts that made it impossible to safely inflate the 30 million cubic feet / 834,497 cubic meters balloon. Baumgartner and the Red Bull Stratos team had waited for five hours in vain for the winds to calm down for the launch.
The Austrian athlete is attempting to undertake a stratospheric balloon flight to an altitude of 120,000 feet / 36,576 meters to become the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall. The findings from the mission will also help to improve our scientific understanding of the stratosphere and how the body copes with the extreme conditions at the edge of space.
At this stage the mission team is closely monitoring possible new launch days before approval is given for another countdown. Progress will be communicated as it happens.
Footage of the successful pre-flights tests, alongside updated interviews with Felix Baumgartner and the wider Red Bull Stratos team can be accessed at: www.redbullstratosnewsroom.com
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by editor | Oct 7, 2012 | Lead Story
Final preparations underway for Red Bull Stratos mission with Tuesday 9th October looking positive subject to weather conditions
The mission team have conducted a step by step dress rehearsal of the final hours before the Red Bull Stratos launch
Today, October 8th, 2012, ROSWELL, New Mexico (USA) – As the mission grows closer Felix’s family and friends are also making their final preparations for his 120,000 feet record breaking jump, supporting him along the way alongside the mission team.
The mission team have conducted a step by step dress rehearsal of the final hours before the Red Bull Stratos launch. A successful result, with the addition of a favourable weather report, has heightened the team’s anticipation for a lift off on Tuesday, October 9. The entire crew assembled to practice the 58 steps that will take the mission from a preparatory weather briefing all the way through to a dawn launch of the 55-story high balloon. The rehearsal is a vital component of preparation for every jump as it enables the teams from all four areas of responsibility to consolidate their checklists into one seamless process.
“Rehearsal is critical,” said high performance director Andy Walshe. “Everything went wonderfully well and the crew was on their game. A couple of times we were ahead of schedule, which is really reassuring. It gives us a sense of confidence.”
Understanding the need to coordinate his activities with those of other crew members, Baumgartner participated too, undergoing a medical check, getting suited up and entering the capsule using the same activation plan that will be implemented at the final launch. “You cannot do this without a team to support you,” the Austrian noted.
Equally reassuring was the news from meteorologist Don Day, who had studied forecast data throughout the night in Mission Control. After a 24-hour postponement due to an unfavourable weather forecast, Tuesday October 9 continues to look promising for the launch. In the days leading up, the team will make minor adjustments to the rundown, even refining the language in which checklists are written to ensure that all crews are absolutely synchronized.
Baumgartner will launch with the largest manned balloon in history: 550 feet/ 168 meters high at the start with a volume of 30 million cubic feet/ 850.000 cubic meters.
“The good news is that we usually have a day or two after this type of cold front moves through where the weather can be favorable for a balloon launch“, Don Day says.
Red Bull Stratos
Red Bull Stratos, created by Red Bull and Felix Baumgartner, is a mission to the edge of space that will try to surpass human limits that have existed for more than 50 years. Supported by a team of experts, Felix Baumgartner will undertake a stratospheric balloon flight to more than 120,000 feet / 36,576 meters and make a record-breaking freefall jump in the attempt to become the first man to break the speed of sound in freefall (an estimated 690 miles / 1,110 kilometres per hour), while delivering valuable data for medical and scientific advancement.
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by editor | Sep 26, 2012 | Lead Story
FC Barcelona partner with European Commission to help fans kick smoking habit
The European Commission and four-time European Champions FC Barcelona today announce an unprecedented partnership aimed at improving the health of millions of people across Europe.
‘Quit Smoking with Barça’ will harness the success of the European Commission’s “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable” campaign and the support of Barça’s worldwide fan-base to help 28 million European smokers* kick the habit forever. The unique partnership will see one of the world’s most prestigious sports clubs partner with a pan- European institution to support a public health campaign on a never before seen scale.
‘Quit Smoking with Barça’ is the latest initiative of the award-winning “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable” campaign and the partnership with FC Barcelona marks the first time the European Commission has collaborated with a sporting partner that reaches the hearts of millions of people to make a real difference to the health of Europe.
The programme aims not to judge smokers, but instead underlines the many benefits of quitting smoking, combining these positive messages with the proven tools of the “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable” campaign. ‘Quit Smoking with Barça’ offers supporters of Barça, football and sport in general, a personalised health training programme with daily quit smoking tips and encouragement direct from key figures at the Catalan club.
The campaign will be powered by iCoach (www.exsmokers.eu), a free, proven digital health tool already helping almost a quarter of a million people across Europe (equivalent to 1 in every 500 smokers) in their quest to give up smoking for good. More information can be found at www.quitsmokingwithbarca.eu
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