Junior eggheads at Coalway Junior School have successfully launched a quail's egg up into the edge of space via a helium balloon and returned it safely to earth by parachute.

The 'Spacetacular Eggventure' was conceived as a way of bringing science into the classroom, having some fun and excitement whilst showing children that anything is possible.

The egg was whisked to a height of 33,000 metres or 108,000 feet, more than three times the cruising altitude on an airliner, before being parachuted into the normally sleepy village of Ettington in Warwickshire.

The pupils were split into three teams, the Launch Crew, the Tracking Crew and the Health and Safety Team working in harness to ensure the success of the mission.

The pupils had to assess materials suitable for insulation and protection from the elements and the descent.

Their geographical skills were used to determine the best weather conditions for launch and safe retrieval of the payload, using a website to predict wind patterns.

They used their mathematical skills to determine the amount of helium gas that was needed to launch whilst ensuring that the balloon had room for expansion in the atmosphere.

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