Sent Into Space: Interview with a Near-Space Agency
The marketing-focused space agency
Sent Into Space describes itself as a marketing-focused space agency. Its work includes global marketing stunts, space cinematography for documentary and cinema, scientific research, aerospace research and development, educational projects and even ash scattering memorial services. It is regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and carries full public liability insurance. We asked the team how it all started.
Key Takeaways
- Sent Into Space uses lighter-than-air platforms to reach the upper stratosphere, in the region of Near Space, for business and consumer clients.
- The company was founded by Dr Chris Rose and Dr Alex Baker, who met while studying for PhDs in Mechanical Engineering; a hobby launch that went viral in 2011 led to a flood of business requests.
- According to the company, it has conducted more than a thousand launches worldwide; among the strangest payloads is a portable blender launched with BlendJet to make a smoothie 100,000 feet above Earth.
At a Glance
- Type
- Near Space launch company and marketing-focused space agency
- Founders
- Dr Chris Rose (Head of Projects & Business Development) and Dr Alex Baker (CTO)
- Origin
- A hobby launch whose video went viral in 2011
- Work
- Marketing launches, space cinematography, scientific and aerospace research, education, memorial services
- Regulation
- Regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority; public liability insured
About the Interview
If you have ever thought about launching something into space, whether a company product, a special device you designed or simply a message with an outstanding view, this is the kind of company you would turn to. We asked four questions about what it does, who is behind it and the strangest thing it has flown.
The Interview
What does Sent Into Space do?
Sent Into Space is a marketing-focused space agency, perhaps the first of its kind in the world. We use lighter-than-air platforms to travel to the upper stratosphere, in the region of Near Space, for business and consumer clients across a variety of industries.
Who are the founders?
Sent Into Space was founded by Dr Chris Rose and Dr Alex Baker, who met while studying for their PhDs in Mechanical Engineering. Their first launch was nothing more than a hobby project conducted alongside their studies, but when their video documenting the process went viral in 2011, the pair were inundated with requests from businesses wanting their own space launch for a range of applications. Now, Alex acts as CTO, managing the engineering side, while Chris is the company’s Head of Projects & Business Development, coordinating projects with clients.
Why was it founded? What’s the value proposition?
Following the influx of requests Chris and Alex received after their first launch, Sent Into Space was founded with the aim of providing access to Near Space for both marketing and research purposes. As the world leaders in commercial Near Space launches, we are unmatched not only in our engineering capabilities but also with our full in-house creative team. In the years since Sent Into Space’s founding, we have conducted more than a thousand launches in countries across the globe.
What’s the strangest thing Sent Into Space has launched?
Having completed thousands of launches, we’ve launched quite a few peculiar things into space. It’s hard to name just one, but certainly amongst the strangest items we have launched into space is a blender! We undertook a project with BlendJet where we launched one of their portable blenders into space to make a smoothie 100,000 feet above the Earth.
This interview was first published as a preview of the SpaceInfo Magazine feature on Sent Into Space.
Editorial note. This interview was conducted by The SpaceInfo Club. Answers are published as provided by the company and reflect its own views and claims. Spotted an error or want to suggest a correction? Contact us.