A TEESSIDE dad is in orbit around the earth after blasting off in the space shuttle Endeavour.

Dr Nicholas Patrick began his journey to the stars at 0914 GMT yesterday from Kennedy Space Station in Florida.

The dad-of-three is part of a crew of six bound for the International Space Station, where they will carry out vital repair and replacement work during the 13-day mission.

Dr Patrick was born in Ingleby Manor near Great Ayton, and spent the early part of his childhood in North Yorkshire.

His desire to explore dates back those early years in when he lived close to the birthplace of Captain James Cook - who also embarked on his voyage into the unknown on board a ship called the Endeavour

Dr Patrick said: We would go walking in the Yorkshire Moors, and go and see the monument that was erected to Captain Cook and thats one of my earliest memories actually of wanting to be an explorer.

And he is carrying with him a reminder of those Yorkshire roots - a small flag just like the one Cook flew from the Endeavour when he set sail in 1768.

Dan OSullivan, a trustee of the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum in Great Ayton, found the flag and a small picture of Cook for Dr Patrick.

Mr OSullivan described the astronaut as a modern day Captain Cook.

He said: Astronauts are the James Cooks of our era, going boldly where very few have gone before.

After being educated at Harrow and Cambridge, Dr Patrick, 45, became an American citizen in 1994 and began his astronaut training with Nasa in 1998.

He currently lives in the state of Connecticut and before blast-off yesterday had already logged 308 hours in space.

The mission was due to start on Sunday, but delayed due to bad weather.

However, yesterday morning it took off before dawn Florida time in a spectacular plume of smoke and fire.

It will be one of the last missions for the space shuttles before they are retired from service later this year.