Stuffed animal dropped from Earth's stratosphere

Emy, a 9-ounce plushie, traveled over 116,000 feet before gently landing in a tree

Mar. 21, 2026 at 12:33pm

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A British tech company, Raspberry, dropped a 9-ounce stuffed animal named Emy from the Earth's stratosphere over Kingston, New York on March 4. The plushie traveled 116,419 feet before the high-altitude balloon popped and Emy gently fell back to Earth, landing intact in a tree in Windsor, Connecticut. Raspberry has submitted Emy's journey for consideration as a new world record for the highest altitude reached by a stuffed animal on a high-altitude balloon.

Why it matters

This stunt was orchestrated by Raspberry to inspire young people to spend more time outdoors and connect with nature, rather than being glued to screens. The company hopes Emy's journey will spark interest in science, exploration, and the natural world.

The details

Emy, a fluffy 9-ounce yellow and green stuffed creature, was launched via high-altitude balloon from Kingston, NY on March 4. The balloon reached an altitude of 116,419 feet before popping, allowing Emy to gently fall back to Earth. The plushie landed safely in a tree in Windsor, Connecticut. Raspberry, the UK-based app maker behind the stunt, has submitted Emy's journey to the World Record Certification Agency for consideration as the highest altitude reached by a stuffed animal on a high-altitude balloon.

  • On March 4, 2026, Emy was launched from Kingston, New York via high-altitude balloon.
  • The balloon reached an altitude of 116,419 feet before popping.
  • Emy gently fell back to Earth and landed in a tree in Windsor, Connecticut.

The players

Emy

A 9-ounce, yellow and green stuffed animal that was launched into the stratosphere by Raspberry.

Raspberry

A British tech company that orchestrated the high-altitude balloon launch of the stuffed animal Emy.

Sachin Raoul

The CEO of Raspberry, the company that launched the stuffed animal Emy into the stratosphere.

Avi Loeb

A Harvard theoretical physicist who explained why the low-density, slow-moving stuffed animal Emy was able to survive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

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What they’re saying

“After the birth of my daughter in August, I just really noticed how screens just put our brains in a comatose state and it really scared me.”

— Sachin Raoul, CEO, Raspberry

“Meteors of this size burn up because they collide with Earth at a speed that is a thousand times larger, dissipating a million times more heat as the air slows them down. This energy release creates a fireball that burns them up [but] the stuffed animal can survive the journey.”

— Avi Loeb, Harvard Theoretical Physicist

What’s next

The World Record Certification Agency is reviewing Emy's journey to determine if it qualifies as the new world record for the highest altitude reached by a stuffed animal on a high-altitude balloon.

The takeaway

This stunt by Raspberry highlights the potential for science and exploration to inspire young people to spend more time engaging with the natural world, rather than being consumed by digital screens. Emy's successful journey to the stratosphere and safe return to Earth demonstrates the wonders of science and the resilience of the natural world.