Key Takeaways
- YouTube channel host Reid Williamson launched a novelty Dogecoin token into the atmosphere this week.
- Williamson used a weather balloon, a tank of helium, and a GPS tracker to carry out the launch of the coin.
- The project was a tribute to SpaceX CEO and Dogecoin proponent Elon Musk, who celebrated his 50th birthday this week.
YouTube host Reid Williamson sent a Dogecoin token into the atmosphere this week as a tribute to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Dogecoin Goes to Space
Williamson used a helium-filled weather balloon to send the coin into the sky. Technically, it did not enter outer space; it remained in earth’s atmosphere, sometimes colloquially called “inner space.”
Weather balloons typically achieve altitudes of less than 42 km, while outer space begins about 100 km above the surface of the Earth.
The Dogecoin token began its flight in Austin, Texas. It traveled over thirty miles before landing in a field. Williamson attached a GPS tracker to the balloon, which allowed him to follow the balloon to its landing location and recover it from a field.
It is not clear whether Williamson chose a coin with a Dogecoin address embedded inside, or whether he merely used a novelty coin with a picture of a Shiba Inu “doge” engraved on its surface.
Though Williamson’s project was a novelty, high-altitude balloons are used for practical data collection purposes. At least one company, Telokanda, is using blockchain and balloons to collect weather data.
A Tribute to Elon Musk
Williamson launched the balloon as a tribute to Elon Musk on his 50th birthday. Musk has been involved with Dogecoin over the past several months. After discussing it on Twitter, he eventually began to participate in its development and consider it as a payment option.
Musk previously announced that a Dogecoin-funded SpaceX moon mission will take place in 2022. SpaceX representatives have said that the mission will apply “cryptocurrency beyond Earth orbit and set the foundation for interplanetary commerce.”
Despite Musk’s frequent participation in the Dogecoin community on Twitter, he has not yet responded to Williamson’s video. However, Billy Markus, who created Dogecoin in 2013, took notice of the discussion around the viral video, calling it a “fun thread.”
Dogecoin hit an all-time high of $0.73 on May 8. Since then, prices have fallen as low as $0.17. As of June 29, the coin is worth $0.27.
Disclaimer: At the time of writing this author held less than $75 of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins, and did not hold Dogecoin.
