Military helicopter pilot Timothy Peake is to be the primary astronaut in area underneath the British flag.
Main Peake, 37, was yesterday named as certainly one of six astronauts chosen to undertake European Area Company missions ‘to the Moon and past’.
Clearly delighted, he described his choice as ‘a singular alternative in my life to be a part of a crew that may have such a constructive impact on humanity’.
To boldly go: Timothy Peake this afternoon and Helen Sharman who grew to become the primary Briton in area when she flew to the Soviet Mir area station in 1991
‘Within the early a part of my life, I used to be all the time impressed by something to do with area exploration. I all the time harboured a dream to grow to be an astronaut,’ he mentioned.
‘Then, as I acquired older, after all I started to suppose it wasn’t going to occur. Since then, nonetheless, I started to consider it on a extra skilled degree, as a take a look at pilot.
‘Turning into an astronaut is a end result of a childhood dream and the head of my aviation profession.’
Area race: (L-R) Luca Parmitano of Italy, Alexander Gerst of Germany, Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy, Timothy Peake of Britain and Thomas Pesquet of France
Main Peake, who lives in Salisbury, Wiltshire along with his spouse Rebecca and their new child son Thomas, was chosen from greater than 8,400 candidates.
He beamed with pleasure yesterday as he appeared in Paris alongside the opposite chosen astronauts – two Italians, a Dane, a German and a Frenchman.
He’ll now endure 18 months’ coaching on the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.
The brand new recruits will be part of the European Astronaut Corps and begin their coaching to organize for future missions to the Worldwide Area Station
His choice got here as one thing of a shock because the UK has opted out of the company’s human spaceflight programme.
Nonetheless, ESA insisted the brand new astronauts had been chosen ‘on benefit alone’.
Proud: Main Peake’s spouse Rebecca and son, Thomas
Science Minister Lord Drayson mentioned: ‘I’ve all the time identified that Tim has acquired the correct stuff.’
The primary Briton in area was Sheffield-born chemist Helen Sharman, nonetheless she needed to safe personal funding to fly to the Mir area station in 1991.
Since then Michael Foale, Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick have flown NASA missions. However they needed to grow to be U.S. residents to take action.
Main Peake should full his astronaut coaching earlier than being eligible to participate in manned expeditions, initially to the Worldwide Area Station, then doubtlessly deeper into area.
Main Peake is likely one of the Military’s prime pilots. Throughout 18 years spent within the Military Air Corps, he has flown a complete of 30 totally different helicopter and fixed-wing plane.
After serving excursions in Northern Eire and Bosnia, he moved by the ranks to grow to be one of many service’s most senior pilots, choosing up a level in flight dynamics alongside the way in which.
He has flown missions all around the world and was, till his current retirement from the Military, a senior Apache helicopter take a look at pilot.
The ESA has a variety of reserved slots for its astronauts on the Worldwide Area Station
Till his choice by the ESA, Main Peake was working for helicopter producer Augusta Westland as a senior take a look at pilot, flight testing Apache and Lynx helicopters.
Yesterday, Main Peake’s proud father, former journalist Nigel Peake, 66, described his son as ‘a mini Motion Man’ who loves climbing, caving, working, sky and scuba-diving in his spare time.
He mentioned: ‘He went to Chichester Excessive Faculty for boys and was all the time very, very eager on sport. He performed rugby and hockey, and he joined the college mixed cadet power.
‘He’s not certainly one of these brash, boastful individuals. He’s a quiet, decided sort. If he says he’ll do one thing, he’ll do it.’
Three different Britons have flown Nasa missions – (from left) Michael Foale, Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick – however needed to grow to be US residents to take action
