Credit: Gratiot County Herald
Well, it’s definitely selfie-worthy now.
About a week ago, Samsung’s European division launched a high-altitude balloon into the stratosphere. Named “SpaceSelfie,” the purpose of the device was to, apparently, send a selfie into space. A selfie photo of actor and model Cara Delevingne was stored in the balloon and broadcasted when it reached the stratosphere via a solar-powered computer. Money well spent.
The device was supposed to make a soft return in a designated area thanks to its weather balloon, but things didn’t quite pan out that way. Due to a sudden burst of nasty weather, the balloon popped and drifted off course. On Saturday morning, the device crashed into the yard of Mr. and Mrs. Mumby-Welke in Gratiot County, Michigan. Luckily, there wasn’t any extensive damage, either to their property or the device. After spotting the Samsung and Raven Industries logos on the device, Mrs. Mumby-Welke ran a search and found details on the device, contacting Samsung to come pick it up. “No injuries occurred and the balloon was subsequently retrieved,” a Samsung spokesperson told Space.com. “We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.”
Despite this less-than-stellar landing, Samsung is not disheartened. They plan to continue their SpaceSelfie program, firing off more balloons into the stratosphere to give more people the opportunity to have their face in space.
