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Waaaaaaaay back in the 1980s, David Letterman had a shtick on his late night TV show where he would drop stuff from a 5 story tower. There was no good reason for it…just to see what would happen to things when they were dropped from such heights. The first episode included dropping a bowling ball, a wedding cake, a 6-pack of beer, a grandfather clock, Wile E. Coyote, and a wedding cake, among others.

Not surprisingly, there’s a collection of his droppings on YouTube. Here it is:

Letterman’s feat led to people daydreaming about what they would drop (this conversation on Reddit is classic) and other entities dropping things from high places. Most recently, the marketing agency Sent Into Space specializes in sending products sky-high (and then back down again) to see if they can survive the adventure.

Drop a suitcase!

So what better thing to see if it can survive a REALLY tough drop, than a suitcase. And what company is better suited to look into that possibility than Samsonite? And so they did.

Yep, Samsonite paid Sent Into Space to shoot a piece of luggage 130,000 feet into the air and then let it fall back to earth, to test its durability. They called it “The Ultimate Drop Test.”

The suitcase in question was the Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner, which currently retails for $500 on Samsonite’s website.

Take Proxis luggage on your next trip to travel with both confidence and style. The Roxkin™ outer shell provides remarkable strength and resilience in a multi-layered lightweight design that you can find only at Samsonite.

• Overall Dimensions: 22 in. x 14 in. x 9 in.
• Weight: 4.6 lbs (ha! That’s heavier than my world’s lightest carry-on bag)

How they did it

 

After preparation, Samsonite and Sent Into Space went to a secure launch site in the Mojave Desert. Using stratospheric balloon technology, the suitcase was launched to a height of over 130,000 feet (and a temperature of minus 85 degrees!) in a one-of-a-kind spacecraft that was equipped with a flight computer with satellite and radio communications systems that allowed the team on the ground to track the craft’s position in real-time and recover it swiftly on its return to Earth. A self-deploying parachute system brought the craft down at a safe and controlled speed, while a fleet of 360° and 4K camera systems documented the incredible journey.

Did it survive?

We will say that the suitcase collided into a mountainside, wheels first. The end of the video shows what happened after that. (Note: SPOILERS! Obviously, LOL!)

A Samsonite suitcase is launched into the stratosphere to test its durability. The suitcase is equipped with cameras and tracking devices, and the launch is meticulously planned and executed. The video follows the suitcase’s journey as it ascends to a height exceeding Mount Everest, before being released and plummeting back to Earth.

“At Samsonite, innovation is in our DNA,” said Nicole Adriance, Senior Director of Brand Marketing. “Sending Proxis into space is a bold testament to our century-long commitment to durability and design. This experiment with ‘Sent Into Space’ demonstrates how our case delivers performance under the most challenging conditions, withstanding not only the rigors of Earthbound travel but also the ultimate test—space—exemplifying the remarkable balance we’ve achieved between lightweight design and rugged durability, setting a new standard in the luggage industry.”

All photos courtesy of Samsonite

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