Mother's Day is coming. Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider "Floats Like a Butterfly." It flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon on Jan. 15, 2026.
 
This acrylic butterfly is a love note: " To my beautiful Mom, never forget that I love you," the inscription says. It's a durable reminder of unbreakable affection. 
 
At the apex of the flight, the Butterfly floated 110,001 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California. After the balloon exploded, as planned, it parachuted back to Earth, landing in the Buttermilks, a popular climbing and bouldering area near Bishop, California. The Butterfly had a wild ride, and the students got great data for their cosmic ray monitoring program.