Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort sends guests' messages, proposals and tributes into space in world-first
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort has made history by becoming the first theme park in the world to send its guests’ messages into space.
The unique mission saw more than 150 submissions from across the globe beamed to the edge of the atmosphere, including moving tributes, heartfelt declarations and even marriage proposals.
Messages were recorded online or at a special “mission control booth” inside the resort before being uploaded to a custom-built screen.
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The device was launched from Sheffield using a hydrogen-filled stratospheric balloon fitted with satellite tracking equipment.
It rose to 110,000 feet – more than three times the height of a passenger jet – where temperatures dropped to -65C, before transmitting the three-minute broadcast above the Earth.
Among the heartfelt submissions, brothers Nathaniel and Xander Currey, aged nine and seven, shared a message to their late grandfather, saying: “We feel close to you in space because you’re like a diamond in the sky.”
Sharon Woodward, 55, told her husband Dave she loved him “to the moon and back” despite a “really, really tough year,” while Danielle Goodship, 29, praised her mum for “doing a really great job” through difficult times.
There were also romantic surprises. Danielle Manning, 32, proposed to partner Scott Taylor, while Deana Cotter, also 32, popped the question to Scott Cardwell - with a little encouragement from his 12-year-old daughter Mary.
The launch reached an altitude equivalent to 524 times the height of Launch Pad, the resort’s 210ft space-themed ride which inspired the mission.
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By comparison, commercial planes fly at around 30,000ft.
As the balloon climbed, it expanded to roughly the height of Buckingham Palace, braving freezing conditions before finally bursting.
The screen then fell at 200mph before a parachute slowed its descent to a safe 5mph.
Pleasure Beach partnered with stratospheric exploration experts Sent Into Space to make the project possible.
CEO Amanda Thompson OBE said: “No theme park has ever attempted a broadcast from space before, but Pleasure Beach has always been about pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable moments.
“To see our guests’ messages transmitted high above the earth was truly extraordinary.
“We’re famous for taking thrills to new heights… and now we’ve sent our guests’ voices into space. It’s a world-first for a theme park, and a moment we’ll never forget.”
Dr Chris Rose, head of projects at Sent Into Space said: “We’ve pulled off some incredible feats in space, but this collaboration with Pleasure Beach Resort is something special.
“As a beloved British institution known for pushing limits, it’s brilliant to see them inviting the public to take part in a world-first moment.
“The journey this screen will take is as extreme as any white-knuckle ride, and we’re proud to help make it happen!”
Pleasure Beach Resort is Europe’s most ride-intensive theme park, popular with thrillseekers and families.
Tickets start at £35 online, with special offers currently available at www.pleasurebeachresort.com.