On Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 5:55:25 PM UTC-7, wrote:

While it's spectacular to set altitude records, the real importance of this project is making steps toward stratospheric research in a vehicle that will not contaminate the nearby atmosphere with noise: chemical, mechanical, aerodynamic.

This is not a toy and its mission is not play.

On that basis, wouldn't you be much better off doing your oh-so-serious research with a UAV?

--Bob K.