More than 40 years after starring in the movie “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” David Bowie took to the skies again this month.
To celebrate the release of commemorative stamps honoring the rock legend, the Royal Mail launched 52 sets into space.
The unique celebration also marked the one-year anniversary of Bowie’s death and his 52-year music career.
“With a style, sound and vision so ahead of his time, many thought David Bowie had tumbled to Earth from a distant planet,” the Royal Mail, the U.K. postal service, announced on its site.
“As a tribute, a cargo of special edition stamps have been blasted into space so they can fall to Earth too.”
The space-bound stamps were enclosed inside a replica of Bowie’s 1973 album “Aladdin Sane,” whose cover art is featured in the 10-stamp set.
Helium balloons took the stamps more than 111,000 feet before bursting and sending them back to Earth.
Fans of Bowie, whose alter egos included Ziggy Stardust, tracked the stamps’ descent on the Royal Mail site and guessed the final landing spot for a chance to win their own set.