KFC's mission to send a chicken sandwich to the edge of space comes to an early end

The spicy chicken sandwich has landed.

A mission in which KFC, along with private spaceflight company World View, launched a Zinger sandwich into the stratosphere lasted only 17 hours--far short of its four-day goal.

World View landed its "Stratollite" early because of a small leak in its altitude control balloon system.

The mission was in part to test the vehicle's altitude control and steering capabilities.

According to a statement released by Jane Poynter, CEO of World View, all of the mission's test objectives were met.

And the special passenger, the KFC sandwich, enjoyed a short-lived ride to the edge of space and landed just in time for Independence Day.

While the mission didn't last as long as World View hoped for, the company plans to "launch additional Stratollite test missions with increasing flight duration in the near future."