Skydiver Will Attempt Record-Breaking Freefall From the Edge of Space {Asylum}

Oct 19th 2010 9:44AM That's a good question. Terminal velocity is dependent on the surface area of an object, and the resistance caused by the atmosphere during the object's freefall. So if you drop a penny from your rooftop, chances are good that the penny would have reached terminal velocity before it hits the ground. Humans have a much larger surface area, and need to jump from a much greater height in order to achieve this.

Since he will be jumping from a point where there is little to no atmosphere or wind resistance, he will be able to accelerate well past a human's typical terminal velocity and possibly break the sound barrier at approximately 768 mph.

On a side note, I wouldn't be able to do this because I would probably flip out after jumping, since I wouldn't feel wind or any sort of indication that I was actually falling. Scary stuff.