Penn and Teller in Space

Colin Rich, who stunned us with his [LA timelapse](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/breathtaking-timelapse-of-los-angeles-will-make-you-believe-in-a-higher-power) in 2013, recently posted an amazing 30-second video called _Penn & Teller in Space_. Its contents? Two dummies shaped like the dubious duo plummeting from the upper atmosphere following the explosion of what looks like a large lightbulb.

Of course, we had a couple of questions. Rich was happy to explain the story behind the unlikely sight:

"Back a couple of years ago I launched a project called _Pacific Star II_. It was an idea that I had in my head for awhile but basically it was to try and take pictures of near space. I put the project together by hacking a bunch of cameras and GPS, and sent the camera up using a weather balloon. I tracked it down and then put together [the video](https://vimeo.com/12421661).

The video went viral, and a lot of people have been doing similar projects like it. I did a couple of launches afterwards for an organization called Poptech in 2010, and then finally did [_Pacific Star 3_](https://vimeo.com/24390348)."

Follow me here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colinrich1
Instagram: http://instagram.com/heyitsmecolin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeyItsMeColin

UPDATE!

The Radionuclide tests returned negative.
---
It's been almost a year since the launch of Pacific Star II. The whole time I had wondered how could I up the ante; throwing together a styrofoam box with some hacked cameras felt like it wouldn't suffice to the challenge I was looking for.

In mid December, I received a call from scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Department of Energy who asked if I could launch a Black Carbon experiment to test atmospheric levels of the pollutant. It was the perfect challenge I sought and together a symbiosis emerged that was able to open doors and gain access to things I normally would not be able to.

Launched from Ventura County, Pacific Star III traveled nearly 200 miles South, South-East, over the Eastern County line of Los Angeles and into the Mojave Desert.

Using a huge 3000g extreme cold weather sounding balloon I was able to go higher and farther than my previous attempts.

I wanted Pacific Star III to fly many months ago, but unfortunately, prevailing Santa Ana winds hampered any launch unless of course I was willing to take the chance that the payload would miraculously parachute from over 100,000 feet and land on Catalina Island off the coast of CA.

I plan and plan and plan and plan and plan and sometimes at the last moment the plans change as quickly as the wind changes directions. 

After four scrubbed launches, it was a bit frustrating but anything worth doing usually is. 

In the end, it's about the adventure of traveling down roads I've never been and never will travel down again while tracking the beast down and I smile to myself because I never know exactly where I'm headed. It's really all about the adventure and the challenge.

I want to thank everyone who has been supportive towards the Pacific Star series. For those of you who  donated to the cause, this could not have happened without your support. Thank you so much!

Additionally I would like to thank Victor Gonzalez and
Next Limit Technologies for their support and patience. http://www.nextlimit.com/

Cheers!

Colin Rich

For additional information on the flight go to:
www.pacificstarflight.com

http://www.facebook.com/#!/colinrich1

Music by Starfucker
http://www.myspace.com/strfkrmusic
(Thanks to Anthony Martinez for the find)

Pacific Star 3

"Penn & Teller had [a show](http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/other-shows-penn-and-teller-tell-a-lie-videos/) on the Discovery Channel much like their other show _[Bullshit!](http://www.sho.com/sho/penn-and-teller-bullshit/home) _on Showtime. I was hired to create a space balloon to send them to space as part of the series, to either prove or disprove whether or not it was possible.

The funniest thing about that whole adventure was that it took like three launches to make it work. Discovery Channel insisted that I launch it in the desert, really close to Edwards Air Force Base. I am pretty sure the Air Force ended up jamming the signal on the device because they probably didnt know what it was (or could do). Somewhere out in the desert, there are six Penn & Teller dolls bleaching out and rusting away.

"The last attempt was a success. I launched it towards the coast on a day with minimal weather. The balloon went to about 30 miles and then parachuted down. A family randomly picked up the device (Penn & Teller, three GoPros, and GPS equipment) and drove around for like 30 minutes in a pickup truck, until I tracked them to their home and recovered the device." Colin Rich concludes, "The launches were always a lot of fun and took me down roads I would otherwise never venture down." Visit Colin Rich at [Deer Dog Productions](http://www.deer-dog.com/), and check out our past coverage of his work [here](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/breathtaking-timelapse-of-los-angeles-will-make-you-believe-in-a-higher-power).

_[Space Balloons Take Flower Art 90,000 Feet Into The Atmosphere](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/en_uk/blog/flower-art-at-90000-feet-above-ground)_

_[The Future Of Space Tourism May Include A Stadium-Sized Balloon](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/the-future-of-space-tourism-may-include-a-stadium-sized-balloon)_

_[Father and Son Film Space From a Homemade Weather Balloon](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/father-and-son-film-space-from-a-homemade-weather-balloon)_

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LA timelapse filmmaker Colin Rich explains the why the dubious duo seemed to be plummeting from the upper atmosphere. 

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The True Story of Penn & Teller in Space

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The True Story of Penn & Teller in Space

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