R2-D2 Heads To The Edge Of Space On a Balloon

Two young science enthusiasts spent their Labor Day weekend sending R2-D2 to the edge of space.

For fun, Kimberly Yeung, 8, and her 10-year-old sister Rebecca built a spacecraft, Loki Lego Launcher, by hand and sent it 78,000 feet. The craft is named after their pet cat Loki and a Lego figure of the lovable Star Wars droid. The triangle frame is built from wood and broken arrow shafts. They used high-altitude weather balloon, filled with helium, to give it its lift. They installed a data recorder and a couple of GoPro cameras to capture the moment.

Once the craft reached its highest ascent it popped. A parachute and a GPS tracker, which were also installed, helped ease its descent and allowed the girls to locate it. There was Styrofoam placed on the bottom of the craft for just in case it landed in water -- it didn't. But, it almost landed in something worse. "We were very lucky because our spacecraft landed right by a huge pile of cow poop, but it didn't land in it," said Rebecca.

Check it out in the video below.

(via geekwire)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives in theaters December 18, 2015