Berlin TV tower 'stolen' by Nasa

Footage of the Berlin TV tower, one of the most recognisable buildings in Germany, being fired into space in an audacious Nasa "theft" has become a web hit.

The 1,200ft tower, which bears a striking resemblance to a rocket, engulfs the centre of the city with smoke as it rises from the Berlin skyline.

The impressive launch footage was created from a combination of genuine Nasa audio recordings, library images of the tower and the computer trickery of a young animator.

Fabian Tischer, 28, grew up just a few miles from the telecommunications tower and produced the clip to realise his childhood fantasy of watching the iconic building lift off into space.

"As a child, I used to think the TV tower in the centre of the former capital of East Germany was a rocket. And now, with my technical possibilities, I have transformed it into that," he told Telegraph.co.uk.

He playfully titled his creation Nasa steals Berlin TV tower to capture the attention of viewers on YouTube and Video, the video-sharing websites where it was posted.

Judging by the comments, most people were impressed with his efforts.

"Congrats! Very nice idea. Funny. Technically good too, I like the cheap handcam look," wrote one commenter on Vimeo.

Another urged Mr Tischer to turn his talents to other landmarks: "Please make more rocket-powered famous buildings."

The Berlin TV tower has become one of the symbols of Berlin since it was erected 40 years ago, but its rocket-like design has not earned universal popularity. It is occasionally referred to as the "Telespargel", or TV asparagus.

Mr Tischer says that he has been "floored" with the response to his video, which he produced in part to generate buzz about his freelance animation and computer graphics work.