Richard Branson is blasted off into the stratosphere and finally makes it to space (well, sort of)

  • Lee Thompson is co-founder of UK-based travel company The Flash Pack
  • He used a hydrogen balloon, Gopro camera and foamex cut out of Branson
  • Balloon traveled for two hours and peaked at 130,000 feet 
  • Thompson is aiming to win Virgin Media Business Pitch to Rich Challenge

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 17:09 EST, 13 June 2015 | Updated: 00:52 EST, 14 June 2015

Richard Branson has had his share of adventurous stunts, but this time he has made it to space.

With only a day to complete the challenge, a man managed to blast off his own version of Branson 'into orbit' using a hydrogen balloon, a GoPro camera and a foamex cut out version of the 64-year-old businessman.

Lee Thompson, co-founder of adventurous travel company The Flash Pack, tracked the balloon after setting it off into the sky over Cambridge before it peaked at 130,000 feet (36 kilometers) and landed 100 miles north.

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With only a day to complete the challenge, a man managed to blast off his own version of Branson into orbit using a hydrogen balloon, a GoPro camera and a foamex cut out version of the 64-year-old entreprenuer

With only a day to complete the challenge, a man managed to blast off his own version of Branson into orbit using a hydrogen balloon, a GoPro camera and a foamex cut out version of the 64-year-old entreprenuer

Lee Thompson (pictured), co-founder of adventurous travel company The Flash Pack, tracked the balloon which traveled for two hours before peaking at 130,000 feet (36 kilometers)

Lee Thompson (pictured), co-founder of adventurous travel company The Flash Pack, tracked the balloon which traveled for two hours before peaking at 130,000 feet (36 kilometers)

Inspired by Branson-styled stunts, Thompson used the help of Steve Randall from Random Engineering to fill the balloon with hydrogen.

The balloon with the cut out of Branson in a Virgin Galactic space vehicle traveled for two hours before it burst and parachuted 'back to earth' where Thompson recovered the camera in the town of Grantham.

The business owner only had a $582 (£375) budget to complete the challenge which is a part of the Virgin Pitch to Rich Challenge.

'We are a small startup with no funding and desperately needed the publicity to get more votes,' Thompson said.

'It was tough pulling this off in a day, so many things could have gone wrong but when I saw the footage from the camera it was amazing.'

'Even sir Richard Branson would have been proud of this stunt,' he added.

Footage from the GoPro camera shows the cut out of Branson as it ascends and soars in the sky, and at the end of the video, Thompson asks for viewers to vote for the company - which is in the top 10 finalists of the competition. Voting closes on June 16.

Branson is founder of the Virgin Galactic project which has signed up 700 customers for sub-orbital trips at $250,000 (£150,000) a seat. The first ceremonial flight will be undertaken by Branson and his family. 

Virgin Galactic's chief executive George Whitesides said the company will be carrying aloft its first paying customers 'within 18 months to two years'. 

Inspired by Branson-styled stunts, the team used the help of Steve Randall from Random Engineering to fill the balloon with hydrogen

Inspired by Branson-styled stunts, the team used the help of Steve Randall from Random Engineering to fill the balloon with hydrogen

The balloon was set off in Cambridge and traveled for two hours before it burst and parachuted back to earth where Thompson recovered the camera in the town of Grantham
Footage from the GoPro camera shows the cut out of Branson as it ascends and soars in the sky, and at the end of the video, Thompson asks for viewers to vote for the company

The balloon was set off in Cambridge and traveled for two hours before it burst and parachuted 'back to earth' where Thompson recovered the camera in the town of Grantham

Thompson said: 'Even sir Richard Branson would have been proud of this stunt'

Thompson said: 'Even sir Richard Branson would have been proud of this stunt'

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