HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—CNV.com Inc., one of the world’s largest distributors of adult products, successfully launched an inflatable doll named Missy into space. The doll launched from Burton Creek State Park, just west of Lake Tahoe using a 4.5-pound balloon filled with about 300 cubic feet of hydrogen. The doll achieved an ascent rate of approximately 1,400 feet per minute, with its flight path taking it directly over Lake Tahoe, Carson City, and then over the deep desert as it climbed to more than 100,000 feet above earth.
Missy remained intact, withstanding extreme temperatures and radiation. At 102,000 feet the craft’s balloon popped and began to rapidly fall back down to earth. Upon re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere the doll was ripped apart and lost somewhere in the Nevada desert. Fortunately, CNV Inc. captured the entire voyage on video and it is available to watch on YouTube.
Withstanding temperatures of -70 degrees Fahrenheit without a noticeable decrease in strength, Missy traveled with jet stream winds more than 100 miles per hour. She withstood cosmic ray radiation—high-energy particles from other solar systems—of nearly 100 times the intensity on the earth’s surface. She also endured atmospheric pressure less than one percent of earth’s atmosphere without bursting.
“We modified the air plug on the back so that it equalized with outside pressure throughout the flight,” CNV.com owner Dave “Sex Toy Dave” Levine said. “The doll was just filled with air, but enough was allowed to vent during the course of the flight so as to prevent explosion.”
At an altitude of approximately 102,000 feet, the spacecraft balloon burst and then began a rapid descent towards earth. The high G-force load of re-entry into Earth’s thicker atmosphere deployed the parachute properly, but also damaged the doll by applying a shear force to its arms and legs. Missy broke into numerous pieces before detaching from the craft altogether and free-falling 90,000 feet to somewhere in the Nevada desert.
While the radio network did not always receive the tracking information sent by the balloon, CNV maintained contact using ground-based receivers and backup systems.
“Three high-definition cameras recorded up to altitudes of approximately 60,000 feet; yielding the best video of a sex toy in space ever,” the owner Dave claims.
The video and tracking systems fell to earth with its parachute landing in the desert mountains, approximately six miles from an accessible road. A seven-hour hiking excursion lasting from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m. allowed the team to recover the cameras and SD cards with flight video intact. The payload was found on a high-altitude desert plateau with excessive wind speeds, causing the balloon remains to be blown away.
CNV.com Inc. is one of the largest online distributors of adult products. Levine started the company in 1995. In October 2011, CNV launched the first vibrator into space. Levine is most well known as “Sex Toy Dave” after appearing on several reality TV shows. Find more info about Levine at http://www.SexToyDave.com.
