As "Fearless Felix" ascended to the jump height under a giant helium balloon it was Kittinger's calm voice that millions around the world heard on the radio giving final instructions.
He sent his friend off into the unknown with the words: "Our guardian angel will take care of you now."
Kittinger, now 84, set his record as a young US Air Force captain on Aug 16, 1960, jumping from more than 19 miles up while testing a high altitude parachute system for the military's Project Excelsior.
He still remembers his pioneering ascent, in an open gondola under a balloon, and the terrifying jump, like it was yesterday.
He told The Daily Telegraph: "It was déjà vu for me. I knew exactly what Felix was thinking and, through the magic of a video camera, I was looking right at him.
"I can still remember 52 years ago so clearly, it's vivid, just like Felix will remember this in fifty years time.
"I had a guardian angel look after me and the same guardian angel looked after Felix. I think God has a special guardian angel that's space qualified that he sends to take care of people like Felix and I."
At mission control in New Mexico, Kittinger and the rest of Baumgartner's team watched helplessly as he span out of control for 35 seconds.
Kittinger knew what could happen having experienced a terrifying spin on his first high altitude jump on Nov 16, 1959.
He went into a flat spin that was so fast he blacked out and was only saved when his parachute opened automatically.
He said: "I was delighted when Felix came out of that. I went into a spin in my first jump and I lost consciousness so I was quite concerned, but he handled it really well.
"When I set the record it was only my 33rd parachute jump but Felix has done many more. I wiped out on the first jump and he didn't, he was remarkable.
"He also went a lot faster than we thought he was going to, but he's a very talented athlete and skydiver. He got into some spins and he was able to get out of it."
Baumgartner also had a last minute technical glitch, when his visor fogged up on the ascent, which almost caused the mission to be aborted.
Kittinger knew just what was going through Baumgartner's mind at that point, having had the right glove on his suit malfunction on the ascent to his own jump.
Recalling his own dilemma, he said: "It happened on the way up. No one had ever gone up that high with an appendage like that. I didn't tell the ground about it because they might abort and I wanted to to make the jump. My decision was the right one.
"My hand swelled up to twice its normal size but it went down again and there was no lasting damage."
Baumgartner also decided to keep going and the result was an iconic event witnessed by millions around the world.
After his record breaking jump Kittinger's distinguished career included being a fighter pilot in Vietnam, where he was shot down and held prisoner for a year, and flying a balloon solo over the Atlantic. He retired from the Air Force as a colonel.
Kittinger, said he was "excited" to have witnessed his record being broken, adding that it had been a "noble endeavour."
He said: "Felix was jumping the next generation of flight pressure suit and this was confirmation these will be of benefit to astronauts, with more mobility in a space environment.
"When I saw him on the ground he was elated because he had accomplished his dream. He was one very happy person."
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