This breathtaking footage shows the moment an amateur astronomer's ashes were scattered - 32,000ft above the earth on the edge of space.

Philip Robson died aged 65 and his family plotted a "fitting" farewell after his funeral. They spent £700 building a high-tech helium balloon which would transport his ashes six miles above the Sussex countryside before bursting.

In an emotional send-off, his family and friends stood side-by-side to watch his remains vanish above the clouds.

His wife of 50 years, Jak, said: "He would have loved it. He said he would have loved his ashes to be sent up in a little rocket, but we went one step further.

These breathtaking pictures capture the moment an amateur astronomer's ashes were scattered - 32,000ft above earth on the edge of space. Philip Robson died aged 65 and his family plotted a "fitting" farewell after his funeral. They spent £700 building a high-tech helium balloon which would transport his ashes six miles above the Sussex countryside before bursting. In an emotional send-off, his family and friends stood side-by-side to watch his remains vanish above the clouds. His wife of 50 years, Jak, said: "He would have loved it. He said he would have loved his ashes to be sent up in a little rocket, but we went one step further.