Beer in SPAAAACE: Photographic PROOF

We're delighted to report that rocket boffin Chris Smith has finally delivered photographic evidence of beer in space, a couple of months after he first dispatched a pint of London Pride to the stratosphere.

Chris, of European Astrotech, launched his first flight in July from The White Swan, in Whitchurch, near Aylesbury. However, corrupted images files on both mission cameras denied drinkers worldwide the chance to see just what happens to beer at altitude.

As you might expect and the above snap confirms, it freezes solid, creating a high-altitude "beeripop". The payload hit an unexpectedly heady 24.3km under an extremely modest 200g balloon, and following orb burst, was recovered intact with the onboard Legonaut none the worse for the ordeal.

The same can't be said of the London Pride, which "tasted pretty grim", according to Chris. We'll leave readers to opine on whether London Pride tastes pretty grim anyway, without the high-altitude freezer treatment. ®