It's the biggest batch of crystal roses ever flown to space! On Jan. 13th  the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this 4-flower bouquet to the stratosphere. Floating on a cosmic ray balloon, it rose (no pun intended) to an altitude 109,252 feet above the Sierra Nevada of central California.
 
The students are selling space roses to fund their cosmic ray ballooning program. The flowers, stems and base are all made of high-quality Borosilicate Crown Crystal, the kind often used in lenses and prisms. That's why they glitter so colorfully in sunlight at the edge of space.
 
The roses spent almost 2.5 hours in the stratosphere. After the balloon exploded (as planned) the payload parachuted back to Earth, landing near the iconic Ubehebe volcanic crater in Death Valley National Park. The roses had a wild ride, and the students got great data for their cosmic ray monitoring program.
 
Each bouquet comes with a greeting card showing the flowers in flight and telling the story of their journey to the stratosphere and back again. They make great Valentine's, Mother's Day, and romantic birthday gifts.