Spanish BASE jumper Dani Roman and French athlete Fred Fugen have achieved two Guinness World Records after being launched vertically using a specially constructed human catapult inside Slovenia's 360-metre Trbovlje chimney.
The record-setting attempts took place on November 5, 2026, using a 60-metre mechanical launch system developed specifically for the Red Bull Human Catapult project.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Dani Roman established the individual human catapult height record at 100.36 metres.
Roman and Fred Fugen achieved a combined height record of 151.72 metres.
Roman reached 75.97 metres and Fugen 75.75 metres during their simultaneous launch.
The attempts took place on November 5, 2026, at the Trbovlje chimney in Slovenia.
The catapult measured 60 metres and was developed by DD Squad.
The complete structure weighed approximately six tonnes and included a two-tonne spring system.
Roman first established the record for the greatest height achieved by a human catapult during an individual launch. He gained 100.36 metres in vertical height after leaving the launch capsule, reaching an altitude of 456.7 metres above ground level.
In a subsequent simultaneous launch, Roman and Fugen established a second record for the greatest combined height by human catapult. Their official combined result was 151.72 metres, with Roman reaching 75.97 metres and Fugen reaching 75.75 metres above their respective release points.
The launch system was developed by Slovenian stunt and engineering team Dunking Devils Squad (DD Squad). The 60-metre apparatus featured a two-tonne multi-spring system and enclosed launch capsules. The complete catapult structure weighed approximately six tonnes.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The achievement demonstrates how mechanical engineering can introduce new possibilities in extreme aerial sports. The project combined specialised launch technology, parachuting expertise and controlled mechanical propulsion to establish two new world records.
During Roman's individual launch, the system accelerated him from zero to 180 kilometres per hour in 2.15 seconds, generating acceleration forces of up to 4.2 times the force of gravity.
At the highest point of their upward flight, the athletes briefly experienced weightlessness before entering freefall. Both subsequently deployed their parachutes and landed safely.
The project took approximately two and a half years to develop. It explored an alternative approach to BASE jumping by using mechanical propulsion to generate initial speed and upward momentum instead of relying solely on a jump from a fixed structure.
