Samsonite launched a suitcase into space — then let it crash land
Bang! Zoom! Straight to the moon!
Luggage maker Samsonite shot a piece of luggage up to 130,000 feet to test its durability — and not only did the pricey roller pass its test with flying colors, the whole stunt was caught on video.
The Proxis Global Carry-on Spinner, which currently retails for $425, was catapulted toward space before descending to earth — where it crash landed in spectacular fashion, according to footage released by the company.
After enduring temperatures as low as -85F, the suitcase was able to descend from the stratosphere at controlled speeds thanks to a self-deploying parachute system, Travel + Leisure reported.
The video shows the product landing wheels first.
The feat was accomplished in partnership with marketing agency Sent Into Space, which specializes in sending products sky-high to see if they can survive the adventure.
The bag is said to be the company’s lightest and toughest ever — weighing just 4.6 pounds. The outer shell is made of Roxkin, a material created for the brand made “recyclable, multilayered, and highly responsive material,” per T+L.
“It’s very strong but extremely lightweight, and in that weight-to-strength ratio is where the resilience comes from,” Ulliyada Bopanna, Vice President of Design and Innovation at Samsonite, told the outlet.
Sent Into Space has launched a wide range of products over the years — from blenders to Barbie dolls.
Samsonite’s instructions were simple — and bold, Dr. Chris Rose, Sent Into Space’s Head of Projects and Business Development, shared.
The brand asked him to “slam” the suitcase “into a mountain” — and that’s what he did.
“I’m glad we could find that mountain for them,” he told T+L. “Because the footage speaks for itself.”
