News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Dressing a potato as Father Christmas and then blasting it up into space could have been a recipe for disaster.

It may have burnt to a crisp... or even boiled up on board the spacechip, Spudnik 2. But this incredible space mission, devised by a group of schoolchildren, was a g-astronomical success.

The kids placed the Father Christmas potato inside a space capsule made from a fizzy drinks bottle and then launched it from a car park in Devon.

Spudnik 2 then soared 17 miles into space attached to a helium weather balloon. It floated for 140 minutes before the balloon burst 19,000ft above the Earth's surface - and Spudnik 2 fell to the ground tied to a parachute. Teacher Hilary Gibbard said yesterday: "The images are amazing - out of this world. It was so exciting for the children to see their potato and the space shuttle they designed up in space."

About 60 children, aged seven to 10, were involved in the project at Landscove village primary school near Ashburton, Devon.

Spudnik 2 eventually landed 140 miles from the launch pad, in a Christmas tree plantation near Basingstoke, Hants. Which must have a-peeled to Santa no end...