Google's vice president, Alan Eustace, jumped from the stratosphere on Thursday breaking Felix Baumgartner's world altitude record performed over New Mexico.

Eustace was lifted up 41,420 metres by an enormous balloon while wearing a specially designed pressurized space suit, the Paragon Space Development Corporation said.

He remained in a free fall for approximately 4.5 minutes before landing safely nearly 70 miles from his launch point, setting a world record for the highest skydive and breaking the sound barrier in the process.

Eustace landed safely on the ground just 15 minutes after he was lifted into the air.

The previous altitude record was set by the Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from a skateboard-sized shelf outside the 3.3-by-2.4 metre fiberglass and acrylic capsule that was carried at 39,045 metres on October 14, 2012.

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