As high-tech reality TV goes, it's hard to top Sunday's riveting leap from the stratosphere by Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner.

It took courage and skill, to be sure. But the technology required to get a guy well on his way to outer space, then allow him to plummet safely back to Earth, deserves some credit, too.

From the one-of-a-kind Red Bull Stratos capsule to a pressurized space suit engineered specifically for the jump to a "smart" parachute designed to deploy if Baumgartner had spiraled out of control, the jump debuted tech that organizers say could contribute to the science world in other areas.

Here is a look at some of the most interesting gadgetry used during the record-breaking leap:

The capsule

At 2,900 pounds, the Stratos weighs in at slightly more than a modern Volkswagen Beetle.

It's made of a fiberglass and epoxy "pressure sphere," the same kind of steel alloy (chromium-molybdenum) cage used in racecars, a foam-insulated fiberglass shield that protected Baumgartner from temperatures as low as -70 degrees Fahrenheit and a base covered in "crush pads" designed to handle 8 Gs of impact pressure.

The suit

Engineers on the project say Baumgartner's spacesuit-style uniform could serve as a model for the future of space travel and exploration.

The fully pressurized suit was tested to withstand temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit and, more importantly in Baumgartner's case, as low as -90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why was the 3.5 pounds of pressure in the suit important? Because, according to the Stratos team, tissues in Baumgartner's body could have turned to gas and expanded while he was above 62,000 feet. Not good.

The most innovative aspects of the suit, however, might have been those designed for mobility and vision. A skydiver needs the ability to move around more quickly than, say, an astronaut tethered to the outside of the international space station.

The Stratos suit was modified to allow more mobility and a system of mirrors increased visibility. A hockey puck-sized controller is programmed to adjust pressure based on the suit's current altitude and a new kind of rotating, locking ring attached the helmet and gloves to the rest of the suit.

Baumgartner's helmet was an 8-pound composite mold attached to a pair of oxygen cylinders during his descent. Its visor was equipped with an integrated heating unit to prevent fogging and icing.

Chest pack

The nerve center of Baumgartner's gear was a chest pack where most of the high-tech gadgetry he'd need to complete, and document, the jump was stored.

Data recorders inside it reported his altitude, speed and location to mission control to help them monitor his progress and whereabouts. The pack also contained a GPS beacon to make him easier to find.

The voice transmitter and receiver that connected to his helmet were in the chest pack, as was an HD camera with a 120-degree view.

Cameras

That chest pack camera wasn't the only one devoted to documenting the historic leap.