#FindSam: ‘Sam The Dog’ Goes Missing After U.K. Schoolchildren Launched Stuffed Dog To ‘Edge Of Space’ [Video]


The search is on for “Sam the dog,” a missing stuffed dog sent on a mission to the “edge of space.” The word is out on social media about the astronaut “dog” who has gone missing in space after becoming the first toy-dog to reach space.

Schoolchildren at Morecambe Bay Community Primary School in Lancashire, northwest England, U.K., launched Sam to the edge of space attached to a giant helium balloon. But he went missing soon after accomplishing the mission of reaching the edge of space.

The toy-dog astronaut was launched into space on Tuesday, April 5, as part of a school science project designed as a fun way to help children learn about astronomy and physics.

The project, in partnership with Midland Hotel and SentIntoSpace, used a helium balloon to lift Sam to near-space. Sam’s “spacecraft” had a GPS tracking device and GoPro cameras attached to document the flight.

[Note: YouTube below appears to show the moment Sam’s balloon popped]

Children at the school were upset when they could not find the missing “dog.” They had expected to recover Sam, along with his spacecraft and flight equipment.

According to Emma Lotty Connolly, a parent of one of the school children involved in the project, “All the children are obviously upset, and my two daughters really want him to be found.”

Connolly helped the school launch a search for the missing “astronaut” by starting a Facebook page to spread the word. The word is out online with hundreds of Facebook users sharing the message on social media, including on Twitter under the hashtag #findsam.

According to the “missing dog” poster uploaded to social media (see below), Sam was last seen flying across Lancashire. The poster shows a GoPro selfie of Sam — a fluffy white cuddly stuffed dog — against the backdrop of a spectacular view of planet Earth from the “edge of space.”

Flight data obtained from tracking equipment indicated that Sam accomplished his mission to reach the edge of space, rising to an altitude of about 15 miles (25 kilometres) at a rate of 20 feet (6 meters) per second. The children were able to view stunning images of Earth from near-space before the balloon popped at an altitude of 15 miles. Sam has not been seen since then, but remains of the balloon, his spacecraft, and tracking equipment have been recovered.

Project organizers said it was difficult to predict exactly where Sam may have landed across a large swathe of northern England because they have no aerodynamics data on the toy-dog astronaut. But members of the public have been asked to look out for a fluffy white stuffed dog apparently dumped on the ground.

Sam apparently detached from his spacecraft and tracking equipment as he plummeted back to Earth. His “spacecraft,” tracking equipment, and camera were found at a field near Burnley, about 48 miles from the launch site. But Sam was missing, according to the school principal, Siobahn Collingwood.

“I had an assembly the next day in which I broke the news. You could have heard a pin drop, there was silence and shock,” the principal said.

The shocked school children first launched #findsam campaign on a local newspaper. But soon a Facebook page was started and the campaign went viral on social media.

According to school teacher Katie Wood, “We really would like our Sam back; he’s the most important thing.”

“He’s so important because he went into space,” a student said.

The children said they would love to have Sam back to hear his tales of the pioneering space adventure, Collingwood said.

Midland Hotel, which helped to fund the project, has announced a reward of a free stay at the luxury hotel for anyone who finds Sam or gives information that leads to his recovery.

“This has been an exciting science project for the children. It has put them in charge of their very own edge-of-space mission, and we were more than happy to give Sam the dog the chance to follow in Tim Peake’s recent footsteps,” said Ben Berry, a representative of the hotel.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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