Test: Virtual journey into the stratosphere at the Swiss Museum of Transport

Felix Baumgartner jumped towards the earth from a height of almost 40 kilometres in October 2012. The highest manned balloon flight, the greatest speed achieved in free fall or the longest free fall of all time - the "Red Bull Stratos" project broke many existing aviation records. For around six years, the pressurised capsule and suit of the mission travelled around the globe and, thanks to the collaboration with Red Bull, have now found their definitive place in the aviation hall.

The Swiss Museum of Transport now offers visitors a VR experience that tells the story of the Red Bull Stratos project in a unique way. From the vibration of the capsule during the ascent at a height of around 40 kilometres to the airflow when the hatch opens, Felix Baumgartner's legendary jump from the stratosphere can be experienced up close thanks to the virtual reality goggles and motion tracker.

Copenhagen-based VR studio Virsabi developed the new project, which aims to inspire visitors to Red Bull Media World in Lucerne with innovative and interactive experiences. The original capsule and astronaut suit are currently part of an exhibition in Russia and will be on display again in the museum's famous flight hall in Lucerne in early 2020.

The test

Making a pilgrimage to the Museum of Transport on a rainy day during the summer holidays is perhaps not such a good idea. However, the big advantage of the Red Bull Media Centre, especially for adults, is that most of the stations can only be used from the age of 12. This also applies to the Red Bull Stratos experience. However, as it lasts a whole 8 minutes and only has 2 seats, we had to queue a little longer.

When it was finally my turn, I was allowed to take a seat in the capsule. The host gave me VR glasses and headphones and I was ready to go. The experience is divided into six cinematic and immersive scenes. The coolest part was definitely the hand tracking and the view of my own arm, which seemed to be stuck in an astronaut suit: I was asked to press a wide variety of buttons and I also had to stand up for the jump. The experience makes it possible to stand on the edge of the capsule yourself.

Unfortunately, you don't have to do the jump yourself. Felix Baumgartner does that. All I see myself is him hurtling down from the side.

The experience is cool, but perhaps not quite worth the long wait. Then I would rather recommend the 360° Matterhorn experience, which is just around the corner.