Piece of Paisley Pattern blasted into space
a swatch of the iconic fabric has been put inside a capsule on board a rocket bound for the International Space Station as part of the UK City of Culture 2021 bid
A piece of Paisley Pattern has been successfully blasted into space in a world first.
A swatch of the iconic fabric several inches in size was put inside a capusle on board a rocket bound for the International Space Station this morning.
The interplanetary link-up is the brainchild of local man Andy Campbell, who is the commercial director of the International Space Station Educational Trust.
The ISSET is the organisation which brought the week-long Mission Discovery space school programme to schools in Renfrewshire which was led by real NASA astronauts and gave youngsters the chance to learn more about space.
The piece of Paisley Pattern came from a shawl held by Paisley Museum and it is hoped once it returns to the town will be put on display as part of the build up to the UK City of Culture 2021 bid.
Once up it will orbit the planet at speeds in excess of 17,000mph around 220 miles above Earth on a journey of more than 15 million in total over the next six weeks.
Renfrewshire’s Provost Anne Hall added: “The Paisley Pattern has already carried the town’s name around the world – now it’s conquered the galaxy too!
“Things like this are a great way to remind people of Paisley and Renfrewshire’s connections with the rest of the world and of what the area has to offer residents and visitors alike.
“For example Paisley already has a great vantage point from which to enjoy a view of the stars, with Coats Observatory one of the few remaining public observatories in Scotland.
“I look forward to being able to welcome the piece of pattern back to Paisley once it has been recovered from its epic journey.”