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Countdown: KFC Zinger mission to send a chicken sandwich into space to launch today

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By Kyle O'Brien | Creative Works Editor

June 22, 2017 | 3 min read

KFC is really sending a chicken sandwich into space. It’s happening this morning (June 22) at roughly 7:15am ET (though the live feed states a weather delay and a postponed launch), and you can now follow the action on a special website from KFC.

KFC Zinger

KFC ZInger in space

The Zinger 1 Space Mission was first mentioned in the Rob Lowe-as-Colonel Sanders spot several months ago that mimicked putting a man on the moon, with Lowe in a space suit dressed as the Colonel. The spot claimed that the fast food restaurant would be sending the Zinger Chicken Sandwich (its best-selling sandwich) into space. Now it’s actually happening, apparently.

To prepare, KFC gave a few hints on how they are doing this feat with a preview video, showing the 19 things you need to get a chicken sandwich into space, including a bunch of stuff they can’t mention, an astronaut and quite a bit of science.

Working with Wieden+Kennedy and MediaMonks, they also have a KFC Zinger 01 website, watching the countdown and the mission and saying “Digestive systems are go” as they send the sandwich to new heights.

KFC partnered with World View Enterprises to launch the Zinger chicken sandwich to the edge of space and then bring it back, along with telemetry data. Pushing the boundaries of space exploration and fried chicken technology, the mission will be the longest controlled stratospheric balloon flight with a commercial payload in history and the first-ever multi-day mission of the World View Stratollite flight system.

"We’re excited to be the ones pushing spicy, crispy chicken sandwich space travel forward,” said Kevin Hochman, KFC US president. “But in all seriousness, we’re proud to support World View’s commitment to advancing space research and trust them to take our world famous Zinger sandwich to space.”

It’s a stunt that hopes to top the restaurant’s others, such as chicken scented candles and sunscreen.

They also have a preview of the "bucket satellite" that will apparently be launched into the stratosphere – near space, not outer space, as the mission website states, adding "But we’re launching a chicken sandwich 19 miles into the air in a robotic bucket satellite. What more do you want from us?"

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