Within seconds, the plane had gone from its assigned altitude of 35, 000 feet down to 34, 600 feet and back up to 35, 400 feet before finally recovering back to its 35, 000 feet cruising altitude.

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The captain saw what was happening and immediately pulled back on the control column in a frantic attempt to increase altitude.

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In all, the solo run lasted just slightly over ten minutes, during which the SS2 notched an altitude of 55, 000 feet before returning safely back to its desert port.

ENGADGET

In all, the solo run lasted just slightly over ten minutes, during which the SS2 notched an altitude of 55, 000 ft before returning safely back to its desert port.

ENGADGET

It rocketed up to a mere 55, 000 feet before shutting down and gliding back to terra firma, an important first step before a full-altitude flight later this year and planned commercial flights in 2015.

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The bubble-heads have set up 35 labs where they woo prospects with demonstrations of packages being dropped on concrete floors, vibrated as if they were on the back of a truck driving over cobblestones or placed in vacuum chambers to see how the bubbles respond to altitude.

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Before that they face the Springboks twice at altitude, in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, but at least they will travel to South Africa on the back of a much-improved performance.

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