Space - the final frontier for mankind and now for a KFC sandwich.
Stratospheric exploration company World View has set a launch date to send the fast food chain's Zinger sandwich to the edge of space, which it says will be the "most important" in the company's history.
Liftoff is set for June 21 on the company's high-altitude Stratollite vehicle which will act as a test of its systems before being made commercially available.
When it isn't carrying sandwiches to the stratosphere, the remote-controlled and unmanned Stratollite will able to carry a variety of payloads including telescopes, sensors and communications equipment and could even help track severe weather and help emergency services in disaster situations.
The technology allows the Stratollite to use the stratospheric winds to steer it to and from desired locations and stay above them for months at a time.
The flight will last much longer than previous tests, which have lasted between six and 12 hours, and will keep the sandwich 60-80,000 feet above Earth for four days.
The unashamed publicity stunt has will be a boost for the company's profile and will also help fund their mission, World View says.
"Sure, this whole chicken sandwich payload is a bit funny. But, KFC gets to embark upon a one-of-a-kind marketing experiment, while we get to pursue our first multiday shakedown cruise in the stratosphere. It's a win for all," World View co-founder and chief technology officer Taber MacCallum says.
The entire mission will be livestreamed by KFC.
Newshub.
