Post date: Dec 20, 2013 3:18:39 PM
A video shows a toy Santa and Rudolph going into the upper stratosphere
(MARK IRELAND / CASSIE PHELPS/ STRATODEAN.CO.UK) - A video featuring a toy Santa and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer rising up into the stratosphere has begun to go viral.
The film showing the toys rising up past the clouds and into the stratosphere was created by a project called Stratodean.
Stratodean, which is run by Mark Ireland and Cassie Phelps, is an organisation based in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire in the UK which sends high altitude weather balloons to the edge of space (between 70,000 and 110,000 feet in the stratosphere).The balloon suspends a camera with a parachute and a GPS system attached so that when the balloon bursts it floats back to the ground and is able to be tracked.
The first two launches the organisation carried out prior to the Santa inspired one were to measure the curvature of the Earth and record temperature data.
But the third launch was the one which carried its festive guests and the video even incorporates the moment the balloon bursts into its narrative.
The full video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7lxiP4aNLY