Arsenal v Aston Villa
The FA Cup Final
Wembley Stadium connected by EE
5.30pm, Saturday 30 May
Live on BBC One and BT Sport
Launch took place just before 6am on Wednesday, from the centre circle at Wembley Stadium, before the balloon travelled out of the Earth’s atmosphere and burst at a height of 29km.
The FA’s Twitter feed then provided fans with live updates as to the location of the balloon using GPS signals.
The tickets touched down in Broad Oak, near Hastings, at approximately 9am after a three-hour trip that no other Cup Final ticket has ever experienced.
The tickets were launched from the centre-circle at Wembley Stadium
George Lamb, a 19-year-old Arsenal fan from Broad Oak, will be the lucky supporter headed to Wembley after his grandmother discovered the tickets while taking her dog for a morning walk.
With George set to celebrate his birthday on Thursday, his grandmother was quick to make his birthday wishes come true and he will now be given a VIP experience as Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal take on Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa on Saturday.
“When I woke up this morning the idea of going to the FA Cup Final hadn’t crossed my mind. Now, thanks to my grandma finding the tickets, I’m going on the ultimate adventure to Wembley on Saturday, although I’m sure the tickets’ adventure to space is certainly a close second!
Tickets soar away from Wembley Stadium
"This will be my first time to Wembley and I’ve got butterflies at the prospect of it.”
The FA has been working with flight experts SentIntoSpace.com on the unique mission. Following approval from the Civil Aviation Authority, the tickets were launched from the centre circle at Wembley on board a specially tailored large meteorological balloon.
It endured harsh conditions on its journey to space and back, such as 100mph winds in the jet stream and temperature plunging below -50C, before a parachute brings the tickets gently back to earth.
The mission to space is part of The Football Association's celebration of the adventure of the Cup during this seasons competition.
As well as sending tickets out of this world, the adventure has also seen the taken the travel to the South Pole and swim with sharks at the National Sea Life Centre.
