UK announces first astronaut in 20-years

Major Tim Peake (ESA) London - James Campbell The UK Space Agency on Tuesday announced that former Apache helicopter pilot Major Tim Peake is to become the first UK astronaut in space for over 20 years. At a press conference at the Science Museum, London Peake said he was “delighted” to be chosen for the long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS), describing it as a "wonderful opportunity for European science." Prime Minister David Cameron said “this is a momentous day, not just for Tim Peake but for Great Britain. It is a great sign for our thriving British space sector.” The former Army Air corps officer will spend six months aboard the ISS, launching on the Suyez shuttle from Kazakhstan in late 2015. The Suyez is currently the only shuttle ferrying astronauts to the space station. Peake’s Russian and American counterparts in the mission are yet to be named. When asked if he can build on the success of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield in utilising social media to promote the scientific work of the ISS, Peake said “I’ll be tweeting from space, I’m in a position to inspire the world.” UK Minister for Universities and Science David Willet backed this notion saying “Tim will become a powerful role model for young people,” calling him "the best of British." Having just returned from the ISS, Hadfield was met with a rapturous reception. During his time on board the space station he amassed nearly a million followers on social network Twitter, providing invaluable exposure to space science during a period of budget cutbacks for missions. Director of the European Space Agency Thomas Reiter said “Tim will inspire citizens in the UK especially young people.” Although it is too early to state what specific experiments will be conducted on the ISS, Peake said that it is likely he will help contribute to ongoing research into human physiology, fluid physics, and astrobiology. He also confirmed that he will retain flight engineer status. Reiter predicted that the mission could research the aging process, as astronauts loose one percent of their bone marrow per every month spent in space. Tim Peake was selected for the mission from over 8,000 applicants. Previously Peake became an Army Air Corps officer in 1992 before serving as a reconnaissance pilot. Qualifying as a helicopter instructor in 1998 he was then posted with the US army, flying Apache helicopters, he proved instrumental in introducing the Apache to the British Army. The British space sector is worth £9bn to the economy annually.