UK man sends pet dog's ashes 119,000 feet into space in emotional tribute
After losing his six-year-old French bulldog Oscar to a sudden brain tumour, UK dog owner, along with friend, sent the pet's ashes soaring 119,000 feet into the sky aboard a weather balloon — an emotional final adventure that also doubled as a real-world test for their pet-tracking startup.
A British man has memorialized his deceased French bulldog by sending its ashes 119,000 feet into the atmosphere. Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, teamed up with friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, to launch the tribute using a helium-filled weather balloon. The ashes, along with Oscar's favorite plush toy and a pet GPS tracker, soared to the edge of the atmosphere before bursting and scattering the ashes.
The payload later descended by parachute and was recovered 55 miles away in Nottinghamshire. The launch, which took place on May 7, 2026, served as a real-world test for a GPS tracker developed by the pair's company, Zoomi. Jacob, who lost Oscar to a brain tumor, hopes the gesture gives his other French bulldog, Toby, a sense of connection to his departed companion.
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