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    Felix Baumgartner’s space jump captivates Internet, Twitter

    By | The Lookout – Sun, Oct 14, 2012

    Baumgartner jumps! (Click on the images to see more photos.)

    Felix Baumgartner's record-setting jump from the edge of space captivated millions watching the Red Bull-sponsored event live online via YouTube. And the 43-year-old Austrian skydiver's two-hour, 24-plus-mile balloon ascent and harrowing four-minute freefall in a pressurized spacesuit provided plenty of fodder for those on Twitter.

    "And you thought your weekend was exciting," Twitter user @wonderwamy wrote.

    "I seem to have tuned into the part of #spacejump where ground control is explaining to Baumgartner how to build an IKEA bookshelf," Dave Itzkoff wrote on Twitter.

    "Instagram it or it didn't happen," Kathleen Schmidt tweeted.

    [Related: Baumgartner sets new records by successfully skydiving from 24 miles high]

    "Luckily Felix didn't hit that giant yellow paragraph floating by," a "Depressed Darth Vader" wrote.

    "White men can #spacejump," Andy Levy, one of several Twitter users to make that joke, tweeted.

    (YouTube)

    The Red Bull tie-in, though, was mocked by many.

    "This awe-inspiring human moment brought to you by sugared disease water," Richard Lawson wrote.

    "After the jump, the camera cuts to the a conference room of jumping, teary-eyed marketing executives," John Herrman tweeted. "'We did it. Together, we did it.'"

    "My only question is: How will 5-Hour Energy top this?" Lindsey Weber asked.

    "James Cameron is now trying to figure out how to top the space jump," Brad Brevet wrote, adding the hashtag "#nobudgettoosteep."

    [Slideshow: Baumgartner's historic leap]

    "David Blaine just threw a glass at his TV," Aparna Nancherla added.

    Several Twitter users thanked Baumgartner in advance for a Halloween costume idea. And at least one wondered where the audience went for his jump. "Guys, I'm up next," the user @Scharpling wrote. "Where is everybody?"

    (YouTube)

    Baumgartner's soft landing in the New Mexico desert was applauded, too.

    "Best landing since McKayla Maroney," Dave Bry wrote, a nod to the gold-medal-winning American gymnast.

    "I can't land like that jumping off a stepladder," Steve Yelvington tweeted.

    At its peak, more than 8 million users watched Baumgartner's freefall, according to YouTube.

    "Not confirmed yet, but I'm hearing this was the most live-tweeted space jump in history," Joseph Weisenthal joked.

    "So there's your new [business] model, Web guys," Peter Kafka wrote. "Just gotta launch a guy into space multiple times a day."

    "Red Bull wins the internet for today," @JMRooker added. "Everybody can go home now."

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