>>Dude.
>>
>>That's pathetic. Dick Rutan's private Spaceship One goes 5 times that high. We had balloons going to those heights 60 years ago but we didn't attach freeze-dried teddy bears to them.
>>
>>When will Britain/ESA grow a real space program? By the time Europe gets to the moon they'll land at a Chinese terminal with American restaurants, Russian taxis, and Indian hotels.
>>
>>>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1091896/British-bears-space-Schoolchildrens-teddies-pictured-19-miles-Earth-strapped-giant-weather-balloon.html
>
>Been there - done that!
>http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A430903

The lack of government support for this was a real shame. With a few millions invested we could have had a very effective space program employing UK engineers and science students. They're always happy to chuck money at things like opera though.