The ashes of a six-year-old French bulldog named Oscar were sent to the edge of Earth's atmosphere on May 7, 2026, as a final tribute from his grieving owner and a friend.
Oscar, who died suddenly earlier this year from a brain tumor, was honored with a journey in a weather balloon. His favorite Toy Story alien plush toy and a pet GPS tracker accompanied his ashes on the ascent. The balloon launched from Rugby, Warwickshire, with Oscar's owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, and friend Callum King, 26, overseeing the endeavor.
At an altitude of approximately 119,000 feet, the balloon burst due to the extreme conditions, with temperatures dropping to -72 degrees Celsius (-97.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Oscar's ashes were then scattered in the upper atmosphere before the payload descended by parachute. The package landed about 55 miles away near Nottinghamshire.
"Oscar couldn't see the world, so we decided to show the world Oscar," King, an entrepreneur, stated. He added that Battersby's loss of Oscar was unexpected and happened rapidly.
Initially, the team expected the flight to last around two hours. However, when the balloon remained airborne longer than anticipated, concerns arose that the payload might be lost. After ceasing the search and heading to a local pub, the GPS tracker suddenly pinged, enabling them to locate and recover the package later that evening in a field.
The flight also served as a functional test for the GPS tracker developed by their company, Zoomi, which had launched the previous month. The successful recovery demonstrated the tracker's ability to locate a package after a significant journey.
Battersby and King, who met in 2016, founded Zoomi, a company focused on GPS and health trackers for pets. The weather balloon launch was conceived as a lasting memorial for Oscar, combining a personal tribute with an experimental flight, an idea King had previously attempted in school.
Upon reaching its apogee, the balloon burst, and the payload descended, touching down around 7 p.m. that day. King noted the satisfaction of successfully recovering the payload, unlike his past attempts in school.
King explained the process involved significant calculation, including determining the amount of helium needed and predicting the flight path, as well as constructing the payload box. He reiterated that the primary motivation was to provide Oscar with a final adventure and create a lasting memory, especially as Battersby's other French bulldog, Toby, was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Battersby expressed that the tribute is very special to him. He noted that Oscar's ashes are expected to return to Earth as rain over time, a concept he finds comforting. He added, "I really like the idea that a little part of him is still up there."
Battersby also shared his plans to create new adventures with Toby, including trips to places like the Dolomites and possibly paragliding, to make up for experiences he couldn't share with Oscar.