By Peter Berton

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – After reaching atmospheric levels previously uncharted by inanimate, inflatable objects, a sex doll known as Missy is being hailed as a heroine for her pioneering role in the unofficial, unmanned space program.

Sadly, Missy’s maiden voyage to the edge of space also was her last. After reaching an estimated height of 102,000 feet, she … ahem … “blew” and fell apart on re-entry over the Nevada desert.

May she rest in pieces.

Launched from Burton Creek State Park in Placer County, Calif., on Dec. 16, Missy was assisted in her rise to fame by a 4.5-pound balloon filled with about 300 cubic feet of hydrogen. According to launch director Dave Levine, the doll rose at an estimated 1,400 feet per minute, enduring temperatures of -70 degrees Fahrenheit, winds gusting to more than 100 miles per hour, cosmic radiation nearly 100 times more intense than that experience on Earth’s surface and atmospheric pressure less than 1 percent of that at the surface — all in the name of sex toy science and international publicity.

What a gal.

Levine said minor modifications to the doll allowed her to remain intact sans space suit even after the balloon to which she was attached disintegrated.

“We modified the air plug on [Missy’s] back so that [air pressure inside the doll] equalized with outside pressure throughout the flight,” explained Levine, owner of sex toy distributor CNV Inc. “The doll was just filled with air, but enough was allowed to vent during the course of the flight so as to prevent explosion.”

Reentry, however, took its toll. The combination of high winds and brutally cold temperatures caused Missy’s limbs to shatter when they struck the camera attached to her parachute. Three high-definition cameras continued to function as Missy’s connection to the parachute failed and she plunged to earth. The launch crew recovered the cameras and a tracking apparatus six miles from Launch Central.

Fortunately for humanity, the cameras captured Missy’s flight in its entirety, “yielding the best video of a sex toy in space ever,” Levine said. The video is embedded below.