The ashes of a French bulldog named Oscar were launched into the upper atmosphere aboard a weather balloon in a tribute organized by his owner and a friend. The balloon, carrying Oscar's ashes, a favorite toy, and a pet GPS tracker, ascended to approximately 119,000 feet before bursting.
Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire. The payload, which included a Toy Story alien toy and a pet GPS tracker, descended by parachute after the balloon burst, eventually landing about 55 miles away near Nottinghamshire. The journey was expected to last around two hours, but the balloon remained airborne longer than anticipated, leading the pair to fear the package was lost.
They were able to recover the payload later that evening after the GPS tracker activated, revealing its location in a field. Mr. King stated that the launch was intended to be a final adventure for Oscar, who died suddenly from a brain tumor. "Oscar couldn't see the world, so we decided to show the world Oscar," King commented.
The flight also served as a practical test for Zoomi, a company co-founded by Battersby and King that develops GPS and health trackers for pets. The successful recovery of the payload demonstrated the tracker's functionality after its high-altitude journey.
Space burials, though not always reaching orbit, are becoming more common. Companies in the UK offer services where ashes are carried to the stratosphere, around 100,000 feet, and scattered. Some services promise a return to Earth, with particles potentially contributing to precipitation or plant growth. Other options include placing ashes in orbital capsules that remain in space for years before burning up in the atmosphere. Approximately 670 individuals have had their ashes sent into space on official flights with organizations like NASA, Elysium Space, and Celestis, with many more likely sent via unrecorded public weather balloon launches.