A SELF-CONFESSED technology geek is launching teddy bears up to the edge of space for a charity mission.
Matt Downs, 33, is obsessed with gadgets and, having attended an event based around advanced balloon technology, set about working on his own project.
He plans to replicate – on a much smaller scale – the mission undertaken by Felix Baumgartner who set the record for the highest skydive, by sending teddies into the stratosphere, all in the name of charity.
"It's a bit of a hobby – one day a similar balloon went over my village and I got the idea then. I thought 'I can do this,'" said Matt. "I'm a bit of a techie at heart and I went to a conference about it, then I bought some bits of circuit board and started playing around."
Six months later Matt, a security systems engineer from Boreham, has created the tracking device for his spacecraft or, as he describes it in simple terms, "a box strapped to a big balloon".
"I hadn't realised quite how much time it takes up," he said.
"It was the tail end of last summer that I wanted to do it."
Nonetheless, Matt is determined to make the mission a success and raise money for the Essex Air Ambulance and Cats Protection charities at the same time.
Pilot Pete, the Essex Air Ambulance mascot, and Catsronaut, for the Cats Protection charity in Chelmsford, will be attached to the balloon called Monty, named after Matt and his wife Vicky's cat which died last year.
Monty will be tracked by Matt's homemade device, transmitting radio signals down to Earth, which allow him to measure the temperature, altitude and just how far his craft has travelled.
The helium-filled balloon can reach heights of up to 35km. When it bursts, Matt will then aim to track the teddies once they have parachuted down to earth, wherever that may be.
Matt is also investing in a camera that allows him to take pictures of the mascots on the edge of space.
"It's quite a niche group of guys who do this," he said. "The idea is that the two little teddies will go up there with a camera and that will take loads and loads of snapshots in what they call 'near space' – it's not actual space, but it's still pretty cool. The images are amazing."
Essex Air Ambulance Trust fundraising manager, Helena Morgan, said: "It's such a unique fundraising idea. Most people who approach us are doing sponsored runs and walks, so it's really exciting."
After the event, the EAAT plans to raffle the teddy to raise more funds for the charity.
Kieron Adams, manager of the Chelmsford Cats Protection group, said: "I thought it was really exciting and new when Matt asked us about it."
Matt hopes to launch the balloon at the start of the summer.
