Pupils send bank note to the edge of space

Polymer £10 sent 38,500m into the atmosphere

Children in Perthshire have helped the Royal Bank of Scotland send its first polymer note to the edge of space.

Pupils from St Stephen’s and Newhill primary schools in Blairgowrie joined a team of scientists to launch the bank note 38,500 metres into the earth’s atmosphere.

It was attached to a giant weather balloon and sent on its journey in a tribute to celebrated Scottish astronomer Mary Somerville whose likeness is on the note.

The choice of the Fife scientist was made following a public vote and her portrait sits in front of an illustration of her home town of Burntisland.

In a nod to her astronomical work, a moon diagram taken from her book ‘Mechanism of the Heavens’ appears when the note is viewed under ultraviolet light.

The reverse of the note features a pair of otters, while it also includes words from acclaimed Scottish poet Norman MacCaig among its security measures.

The launch of the note into space took place at the schools’ shared campus with help from scientists, Sent into Space.

The note was photographed and filmed through its ascent, before landing safely in the north of Scotland.

It was an exciting moment for Malcolm Buchanan, chairman of the bank’s Scotland board, who said: “This is our most advanced note yet and we wanted the public to help influence its design.

“It is fitting that the public vote led to the choice of Mary Somerville, a person who helped advance our understanding of the world which surrounds us and the stars above us.”

Royal Bank of Scotland has been issuing bank notes since 1727 and has an average of £1.5 billion worth of notes in circulation on a single day.

The new polymer note was sent to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere.

Picture: PA. Pupils from St Stephen’s and Newhill primary schools with scientists from Sent into Space who helped them launch the new polymer £10 note into the atmosphere.