Michel Fournier

    The 64-year-old is going to jump out of a balloon almost 25 miles above the Earth.

    He'll pass the sound barrier and reach speeds of nearly 1,000 miles an hour during his fall, which will last about 15 minutes. Along the way, he'll set records for fastest freefall, longest freefall, highest altitude for human balloon flight and highest parachute jump. Update: The attempt failed after Fournier's helium balloon detached from his capsule as it was being filled and floated away.