THEY are the incredible images from one Hampshire teddy bear’s mission to the edge of space.

Today the Daily Echo can reveal the extraordinary scenes from Derek the teddy bear’s daring cosmic adventure.

Attached to only a helium balloon, the furry astronaut floated 21 miles up through the clouds and into the Earth’s stratosphere.

 

 

As previously reported, the county’s very own super ted – kitted out in a specially designed silver space suit – was launched from the depths of the New Forest.

The footage is taken from his onboard camera shows Derek leaving our world behind as he floats up into the stratosphere – the second major layer of Earth’s atmosphere – before the balloon pops and he is sent spiralling back to terra firma.

His parachute deploys and the bear safely falls back down to Earth, landing on top of a 20ft tree in Chichester, West Sussex.

The project was a joint venture between Toynbee School in Chandler’s Ford and the University of Southampton.

Cait Percy, outreach officer for the university’s physics society, said: “We hope that showing children these amazing images from Derek’s visit to the stratosphere will inspire them to get involved with science and show them how cool space is.

“This was the culmination of their work related to space and for them to be able to see the views of the Earth is incredible.

“It was such a relief when we recovered Derek and he is doing very well.

“His outfit was in one piece so that protected him very well.”

She added that the experiment has proved such a success that they are looking to do it again, this time with another school who can suggest something else to send into space.

To get involved with the project, email physwizz@soton.ac.uk.