The ashes of a French bulldog named Oscar were sent nearly 23 miles above Earth in a final tribute orchestrated by his owner and a friend. Jacob Battersby, 26, launched a weather balloon carrying the remains of his six-year-old pet, who passed away from a brain tumor, aiming to send him to the edge of the atmosphere. Equipped with a GPS tracker and a parachute, the balloon ascended until it burst at high altitude, dispersing Oscar’s ashes.

Battersby, together with entrepreneur Callum King, 26, initiated the launch from Rugby, Warwickshire. The two confirmed the success of their mission when the GPS tracker signaled the parachute’s landing in Nottinghamshire, approximately 55 miles from the takeoff point. King remarked that since Oscar had been unable to experience the world visually, they wanted to symbolically “show the world Oscar.”

Battersby reflected on the symbolism of the gesture, noting that after several months, the ashes are expected to return to Earth via rain. “I like the idea a little part of him is still up there,” he said, highlighting how many people look to the sky when remembering those they have lost. For Battersby, that connection is now literal, as a part of his beloved pet remains suspended near outer space.