Four cuddly teddy bears have been blasted to the edge of space by Cambridge University, in an effort to attract youngsters to the subjects of science and engineering.
The bears were attached to a helium balloon and launched 30,000-metres into the atmosphere from Churchill College, Cambridge University.
They wore space suits (designed by schoolchildren from the city) and were fitted with GPS system and a camera to track their progress as the teddies withstood freezing temperatures.
Aiyana Stead, 12, helped make the space suits, said: "This was a really fun thing to do. The best bit was when we set the balloon off with the bears."
Kane Robbins, 12, added: "I really enjoyed launching the teddy bear into space."
The project was overseen by the Cambridge University spaceflight team - a student-run society set up two years ago.
Ed Moore, one of its 10 members, said: "There can be few more worthwhile things for us to do than to try and provide that spark for the current generation of school kids."
Leave a comment
Want a user picture? Get a Gravatar!