While out on his land, a South African farmer called Urbanus Botha stumbled across what he thought was a weather balloon. When his daughter went to investigate she noticed a 'Google X' logo. She got in contact with an engineer from the company who confirmed that the balloon belonged to Google and that they would send someone to collect it.

The balloon is from the company's ambitious and secretive X Lab. Google has have been working on 'Project Loom' - it plans to use balloons orbiting in the earth's stratosphere to improve internet access around the world.

Two thirds of the world live in regions where there is online access. People can attach antennas to their buildings and connect to the internet through the balloon devices in a way that is not dissimilar to how satellite television works.

This all sounds good - but Google have been having trouble keeping the balloons in the air. There was a crash in Washington which allegedly caused a power outage, another one in Nevada, and one fell in New Zealand which was mistaken for a crashed plane.

Google is unlikely to let these hiccups hold back the project. The company has plans to invest $1 billion in putting 180 balloons in the sky and keeping them in a semi-permanent sate of orbit.