Many of us built paper planes to (A)________ around the classroom, but a team of British enthusiasts had more ambitious plans — to send a paper plane towards the edge of space. Last week, the aircraft, built from paper and paper straws, and with a three-foot wingspan, was launched from a site in Spain. A helium balloon (B)________ it to an altitude of 90,00ft (17 miles) — not, admittedly, very (C)________ to outer space (which is considered to begin around 50 miles above the Earth’s surface), but higher than a jumbo jet would normally fly (39,000ft). The balloon then (D)________, allowing the plane to glide gently back to Earth.

Along the way, it took pictures (E)________ a miniature camera before landing 100 miles from the launch site, whole but for a tear in its wing.

The project was masterminded by Steve Darnels, John Oates and Lester Haines, who said they (F)________ with the idea after being (G)________ by a project last year to send a lump of cheese into space. They had done it, they said, for a “laugh”.