In a stunt having nothing to do with Richard Heene, Toshiba has sent a chair to the edge of space for a new commercial. The chair, lifted by a helium balloon, was monitored by a ground crew using four GPS systems and was filmed by the cinematographer who shot Mamma Mia. According to Toshiba:
The shots were taken at a staggering 98,268 feet above the earth and the weight of the rig had to be carefully managed to a weight of no more than four pounds. The chair is made of biodegradable balsa wood by a company called Artem and cost about £2,500. It was launched 12 miles North-East of the town of Gerlach, Nevada. The temperature dropped to minus 90 degrees when the chair reached 52,037 feet. The chair took 83 minutes to reach an altitude of 98,268 feet where it broke and took just 24 minutes to fall back down to earth with the rig.
The commercial extolls the virtues of the company's LCD TV and the enhanced "armchair viewing" it provides. Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP…
