Latest news with #TimPeake
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Dark skies inspired ex-astronaut Tim Peake's space wonder
Former UK astronaut Tim Peake has been describing how his childhood growing up in West Sussex inspired him to travel into space. Peake was the first British astronaut to set foot on the International Space Station and the first to conduct a spacewalk during his six-month mission in 2015 and former Army helicopter pilot stepped down permanently from his role as a European astronaut in 2023, taking up a full-time ambassadorial position for science and space. He told BBC Radio Sussex: "I went to the cadets at Chichester High School and carried on with that adventurous streak which ultimately led me to the army and to space." Speaking about growing up in West Sussex, Peake said: "I had such a very safe, very secure childhood."Living in Westbourne it has quite dark skies and I remember thinking 'I wonder what's out there?'."Mr Peake said he was inspired by his school physics teacher Mike said: "He was amazing. My teachers made their lessons so exciting and as relevant as they could. "That ingrained a passion for science which has never left me." Peake joined the European Space Agency in 2009 after an 18-year career in the was announced in 2024 as part of a team that will launch the first all-British crewed mission into said: "I love the way space has the ability to inspire people."When you get the chance to talk to school kids about how your dreams can become a reality it is always an amazing experience."Everyone looks up at the stars and has that moment of awe and wonder." In his new theatre tour Peake will "share the remarkable stories of some of his fellow astronauts and explore the spectacular evolution of space travel".He said: "Being able to tour the country where I can share just a small taste of what I experienced as an astronaut, reliving my own journey and sharing stories from those groundbreaking moments in space exploration, is absolutely fantastic."I hope the stories I share will give people a special insight into the magic of space and continue to inspire generations of future space explorers."Astronauts: The Quest To Explore Space is coming to Guildford, Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells and Worthing in September and October.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Do aliens exist? British astronaut Tim Peake thinks there IS 'complex, intelligent life' beyond Earth - and says we're 'close' to finding it
If aliens exist, surely Tim Peake is one of a select group of humans who have been the closest to them. The British astronaut spent six months in space between 2015 and 2016, living and working on the International Space Station (ISS), 250 miles above Earth. Although he didn't have any extraterrestrial encounters while up there, Major Peake said he thinks aliens most likely do exist. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the 53-year-old, from Chichester in Sussex, said Earth is 'actually a pretty small place', relatively speaking. 'When you look at just our own Milky Way galaxy with 200 billion stars, that's one of a number of hundreds of billions of galaxies that we can see,' he told MailOnline. 'So the chances are that there is complex, intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.' In April, scientists revealed that a faraway planet called K2-18b has large quantities of chemicals in its atmosphere that are suggestive of living organisms. Although the findings are to be confirmed, Major Peake said we are likely close to finding the definitive proof that aliens do exist. 'We know that the universe is abundant with water, it's abundant with the seeds of life,' the British spaceman told MailOnline. 'We've discovered so many thousands of exoplanets in our neighbourhood which are orbiting stars, many of which have very good signs of potential habitability with liquid oceans for example. 'Within the next five to 10 years, using the James Webb Space Telescope for example, we could even get to the situation where scientists feel confident enough to be able to say that they found signs of biological life on another planet.' 'It might be small bacteria, it might be algae, giving off some signs of biological processes. 'But that's the kind of thing that we're getting close to be able to say for sure.' During his time on the ISS between December 2015 and June 2016, Major Peake completed the first British spacewalk, took part in 250 research experiments, and even managed to remotely run the London Marathon. On January 15, 2016, he participated in the first spacewalk outside the ISS by a British astronaut with the dazzling blue of the Earth beneath him. The historic event lasted nearly five hours, although it was cut short when American colleague Tim Kopra had water building up in his helmet. During his time on the ISS, he became the first person to complete a spacewalk while sporting a Union flag on his shoulder. Pictured, prior to his spacewalk, January 14, 2016 Nearly a decade later, Major Peake reflects on the experience as 'very surreal' and difficult to put into words'. 'The feeling is a mixture of appreciating how remote and isolated our planet is,' he told MailOnline. 'I hesitate to use the word fragile because actually the planet's pretty robust – it's survived 4 billion years; it's got another 4 billion to go before the sun will cause its demise. 'But what you appreciate from space is not necessarily its fragility but its remoteness and the level of isolation against this vast black backdrop of the universe. 'And it strikes you that that is home – that's the only planet we've got to live on. 'On the one hand it makes you feel fairly small and insignificant but on the other hand it does make you appreciate that we are incredibly special.' Major Peake spoke to MailOnline ahead of this summer's Goodwood Festival of Speed near his native Chichester where he's ambassador of the Future Lab exhibition showcasing the technologies of tomorrow. He's already given the biggest indication yet that he's about to make a spectacular return into orbit after nearly a decade back on Earth. Last year, he was confirmed as 'strategic advisor' for a mission led by US firm Axiom Space to send an all-UK team into space for the first time. The trip will certainly require a seasoned astronaut to act as 'commander' akin to the captain on a ship – with Major Peake the most obvious contender. Although he couldn't confirm whether he would indeed be commander of the mission, he said going to space is still 'always of interest'. 'I'm an astronaut who's fit and able to fly to space and command a mission,' he told MailOnline. 'So absolutely I'm willing and ready to command the mission and fly to space.' Meet the astronauts tipped to fly into space as part of the all-UK mission with Tim Peake Three Britons – including the world's first ever 'parastronaut' – are among the European Space Agency's first new cohort of astronauts in almost 15 years. In November 2022, John McFall, Rosemary Coogan and Meganne Christian were named in a class of 17 men and women chosen from a whopping 22,523 applicants. They will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of current British astronaut Tim Peake, who spent six months on the International Space Station (ISS) almost a decade ago. Here's a closer look at the three adventurers, who may be joined by Major Peake himself on a trip to the ISS. John McFall Britain's John McFall was named as the world's first 'parastronaut' in November 2022 John McFall, 44, is a British father-of-three, surgical trainee and Paralympic medallist. Originally from Frimley in Surrey, Mr McFall had his right leg amputated following a motorcycle accident in Thailand in 2000. He was fitted with a prosthesis and is now working with the European Space Agency (ESA) to investigate how such a disability could affect a stint in space. He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing among other honours, before retiring to take up his medical studies at Cardiff University. He has put his medical career on hold to work with ESA and follow his 'passion for science and life'. Rosemary Coogan Rosemary Coogan, 33, is an astrophysicist originally from Belfast in Northern Ireland. She attended school in Brighton and gained two master's degrees from the University of Durham. One of these focused on physics, mathematics, computer programming and astronomy, and the other on gamma-ray emission from black holes. Coogan moved to the University of Sussex as a doctoral researcher, studying galaxy evolution and the activity of active galactic nuclei. From a young age, she spent several weeks a year away from home onboard military training vessels and land bases as a Cadet Petty Officer with the Sea Cadets from 2002 to 2009. Meganne Christian Meganne Christian, 37, is a materials scientist graduate from the University of New South Wales in Sydney. She was born in Pembury in Kent but moved to Australia at a young age and attended Illawarra Grammar School in Wollongong. She said she was inspired to become an astronaut when one visited her school. The materials scientist has worked at the National Research Council of Italy in Bologna and as a researcher at Concordia Station in Antarctica, one of the most remote places on Earth. According to ESA, Meganne received several national awards for outstanding research in the field of engineering and industrial chemistry.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE British astronaut Tim Peake gives his verdict on the Katy Perry space mission - so, do you agree?
It's fair to say the legendary British astronaut Tim Peake knows a thing or two about going to space. The 53-year-old, from Chichester in Sussex, spent six months on the International Space Station (ISS) between December 2015 and June 2016. While there, he completed the first British spacewalk, took part in 250 research experiments, and even managed to remotely run the London Marathon. So Katy Perry's 11-minute space flight, which sparked intense backlash on social media, was always going to look worthless by comparison. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Major Peake said the latest mission organized by Jeff Bezos ' firm Blue Origin didn't have a 'huge amount of benefit'. 'What we do in space should all be about the benefits to society and progressing science, progressing exploration and progressing human knowledge,' he said. 'So I don't see a huge amount of benefit if a mission is not going to achieve at least some of those aims.' Major Peake also revealed an exciting update on the upcoming all-UK space mission. As well as Katy Perry, the Blue Origin mission on April 14 carried Lauren Sanchez (fiancé of Blue Origin boss Jeff Bezos), producer Kerianne Flynn, TV host Gayle King, engineer Aisha Bowe and activist Amanda Nguyen 66.5 miles above Earth. Undoubtedly, Katy Perry – singer of hits such as 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Roar' – was the most publicised name. But the latter two – Aisha Bowe and activist Amanda Nguyen – were somewhat overlooked by comparison, despite being respected names in the science industry. Major Peake said 'the PR was not handled very well' for the sub-orbital spaceflight, which lasted just lasted 10 minutes and 21 seconds. 'Two of the crew members were incredibly well-renowned STEM ambassadors, one was a Nobel nominee, and very little was mentioned about that,' he said. Blue Origin's elite space programme – so far restricted to the wealthy or well-connected – puts tourists into space briefly and returns them safely to Earth. It's all part of a new industry known as space tourism, where you don't have to be a professional astronaut to enjoy the profound experience that is space travel. If nothing else, these 'space tourism' missions have a part to play in terms of inspiring the next generation, but only if done correctly, Major Peake added. Major Peake spoke to MailOnline ahead of this summer's Goodwood Festival of Speed near his native Chichester where he's ambassador of the Future Lab exhibition showcasing the technologies of tomorrow. The British spaceman also gave the biggest indication yet that he's about to make a spectacular return into orbit after nearly a decade back on Earth. He has already been confirmed as 'strategic advisor' for a mission led by US firm Axiom Space to send an all-UK team into space for the first time. It's unclear whether the role of 'strategic advisor' will include being one of the four UK astronauts making up the team. But the mission will certainly require a seasoned astronaut to act as 'commander' akin to the captain on a ship – with Major Peake the most obvious contender. Accompanying him could be paralympic sprinter John McFall from Surrey and astrophysicist Rosemary Coogan from Belfast. Despite announcing his retirement as a spacefarer back in 2023, Major Peake – whose first job was as a barman at the The Nags Head pub in Chichester – said going to space is still 'always of interest'. 'I'm an astronaut who's fit and able to fly to space and command a mission,' he told MailOnline. 'So absolutely I'm willing and ready to command the mission and fly to space.' It's unclear when the mission will happen, but Major Peake hopes it will be within the next three years. It also hasn't yet been decided if the all-British mission will have the ISS as its destination, although it would be 'an obvious location'. He explained to MailOnline: 'The reason why the crew's not being announced and the reason why I can't officially say whether or not I'm part of the crew is because that forms a process which NASA have to be intimately involved in. 'Ultimately, if you're going to dock to the International Space Station they [NASA] have to approve the commander. 'And so it's not our position in terms of Axiom Space to announce the crew prior to the mission actually having gone through the kind of NASA approval process. 'The first part of that is actually to secure a private astronaut mission to the ISS, so until you've actually secured that mission via NASA you can't announce the crew.' When he blasted off to the ISS, Peake became the first officially British spaceman, although he was not the first Briton in space. It was back in 1991 when Sheffield-born chemist Helen Sharman not only became the first British spacewoman, but the first British person in space. Peake said he would never forget his 'exhilarating' first walk in space as he posted a cheeky space selfie of the historic feat, showing the camera reflected in his helmet Before both Sharman and Peake had been into space, other UK-born men had done so through NASA's space programme, thanks to acquiring US citizenship. But Sharman and Peake are considered the first 'official' British people in space as they were both representing their country of birth. Major Peake also became the first astronaut funded by the British government. During his time on the ISS, he ran the London marathon and became the first person to complete a spacewalk while sporting a Union flag on his shoulder. Upon returning to Earth in June 2016, Major Peake said he was looking forward to pizza and a cold beer. Meet the astronauts tipped to fly into space as part of the all-UK mission with Tim Peake Three Britons – including the world's first ever 'parastronaut' – are among the European Space Agency's first new cohort of astronauts in almost 15 years. In November 2022, John McFall, Rosemary Coogan and Meganne Christian were named in a class of 17 men and women chosen from a whopping 22,523 applicants. They will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of current British astronaut Tim Peake, who spent six months on the International Space Station (ISS) almost a decade ago. Here's a closer look at the three adventurers, who may be joined by Major Peake himself on a trip to the ISS. John McFall Britain's John McFall was named as the world's first 'parastronaut' in November 2022 John McFall, 44, is a British father-of-three, surgical trainee and Paralympic medallist. Originally from Frimley in Surrey, Mr McFall had his right leg amputated following a motorcycle accident in Thailand in 2000. He was fitted with a prosthesis and is now working with the European Space Agency (ESA) to investigate how such a disability could affect a stint in space. He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing among other honours, before retiring to take up his medical studies at Cardiff University. He has put his medical career on hold to work with ESA and follow his 'passion for science and life'. Rosemary Coogan Rosemary Coogan, 33, is an astrophysicist originally from Belfast in Northern Ireland. She attended school in Brighton and gained two master's degrees from the University of Durham. One of these focused on physics, mathematics, computer programming and astronomy, and the other on gamma-ray emission from black holes. Coogan moved to the University of Sussex as a doctoral researcher, studying galaxy evolution and the activity of active galactic nuclei. From a young age, she spent several weeks a year away from home onboard military training vessels and land bases as a Cadet Petty Officer with the Sea Cadets from 2002 to 2009. Meganne Christian Meganne Christian, 37, is a materials scientist graduate from the University of New South Wales in Sydney. She was born in Pembury in Kent but moved to Australia at a young age and attended Illawarra Grammar School in Wollongong. She said she was inspired to become an astronaut when one visited her school. The materials scientist has worked at the National Research Council of Italy in Bologna and as a researcher at Concordia Station in Antarctica, one of the most remote places on Earth. According to ESA, Meganne received several national awards for outstanding research in the field of engineering and industrial chemistry. In addition to British and Italian citizenship, she also holds Australian and New Zealand citizenship.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sir David Attenborough, 98, tells 'greatest story he's ever told' in his new film - after heartbreaking admission the icon is 'nearing the end of his life'
Sir David Attenborough 's new film is the 'greatest message he's ever told', says its producer. Ocean: With David Attenborough will see the legendary environmentalist, 98, delve further than ever before into the 'most important place on earth' - its oceans. After being significantly damaged by fishing and pollution, the film argues the sea is 'at a crossroads', but 'it can bounce back'. Ocean will be released on Sir David's 99th birthday this Thursday, and has been described as a step away from his usual style of film. Toby Nowlan, the movie's producer, said: 'This is not about seeing brand new natural history behaviours. 'This is the greatest message he's ever told.' The film's premiere will be held tonight with a blue carpet set to be rolled out at London's Royal Festival Hall. A host of celebrities are expected to be in attendance including Chris Martin and Coldplay, Benedict Cumberbatch, astronaut Tim Peake, Geri Halliwell-Horner and Simon LeBon. Never-seen-before graphic footage of the damage that bottom trawling - a common fishing practice around the world - has done to the seabed is said to feature in the film. The pictures will display how the chain that trawlers drag behind them scours the seafloor, forcing the creatures it disturbs into the net behind. The process also releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the sea, something which contributes to global warming. Sir David will examine inspirational stories of ocean recovery in areas where destructive fishing is banned - such as the Isle of Arran, Scotland and Hawaii. The broadcasting icon contends that 'the ocean can recover faster than we can ever imagine'. But 'we are running out of time', says Attenborough, who candidly admitted he may not be around to see our oceans saved as he 'nears the end of his life'. During the heartbreaking admission in the film's trailer, he said: 'When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity. 'Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true. After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.' He added: 'Today, it is in such poor health I would find it hard not to lose hope were it not for the most remarkable discovery of all.' 'If we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I'm sure nothing is more important.' Sir David further made a reference to his years on this earth as he opened up about the extraordinary ocean discoveries over the decades and how important it is to preserve the health of the oceans. He said: 'My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man. 'Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true. After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea' [pictured in 1965] 'In this film, we share some of those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can be restored to health. This could be the moment of change. 'Nearly every country on Earth has just agreed, on paper, to achieve this bare minimum and protect a third of the ocean. 'Together, we now face the challenge of making it happen.' The Discovery+ series also features historical footage, including scenes from back in 1957 when the animal lover first attempted scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. The much loved TV personality has been on screens for over 70 years, with his first appearance being back in 1954, having started at the BBC in 1952. He was brought in to front wildlife series Zoo Quest after the intended presenter fell ill on location. The series, which was broadcast until 1963, took British viewers into far-flung countries - and supercharged the young naturalist's career. His groundbreaking Life On Earth series, which began in 1979, really put him on the map. In the decades since, Sir David has been behind some of the most successful documentary series in British television, including The Living Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet. His work has inspired dozens of other TV presenters. As well as his passion for work, David's other big love was his wife Jane Oriel, whom he was married to for 47 years. The couple shared two children, son Robert and daughter Susan, who are now both in their 50s. Jane from a brain haemorrhage in 1997 aged 70. When she slipped into a coma, he was in New Zealand making The Life Of Birds yet managed to get to her bedside before she died. In his memoir, Life On Air, David recalled the moment Jane passed away, noting how 'lost' he felt at that point. He shared: 'She did and gave my hand a squeeze. the focus of my life, the anchor had gone…now I was lost. In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, the naturalist praised his wife as he opened up about his regrets at being away from his family for long stretches of time while filming all over the world. He shared: 'I was away for three months at a time. If you have a child of six or eight and you miss three months of his or her life, it's irreplaceable; you miss something. And I did. My dear wife was very understanding about it.'
New Statesman
23-04-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Launching Britain into the new space age
The British astronaut Tim Peake during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, 15 January 2016. Photo by Nasa Photo / Alamy Stock Photo Taking our young grandsons to Disneyworld, much as we took their mother 30 years before, I was struck by how cleverly everything is geared towards children, prams (or 'strollers', in the local parlance) and families. It was a joy to watch their encounters with characters, from early shy glances to full-on cuddles, and their first taste of roller coasters. On my first visit all those years ago, I couldn't believe there was a place where feeding children, changing nappies ('diapers') and welcoming families were all part of the experience. I was disappointed when the Thatcher government failed to offer Disney incentives to build its European theme park in the UK, so I am delighted to see Universal is now coming to Bedford. For many families, a trip to Paris, or more so to Florida, is out of the question, but a day in Bedford might be possible if pricing, especially for kids, can be kept affordable. I'm hoping it will feature Harry Potter and James Bond attractions, and, with luck, some Minions as well. From Disneyworld to Trumpworld While I was enjoying myself in Florida, the news came that the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC, where I am a fellow, had been almost entirely shut down by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Congressionally chartered in honour of the only US president to have a PhD, the think tank's expertise and experience in foreign and security policy had been at the service of Congress for 60 years. A bipartisan body, it offers training and advice to members of Congress and their staff, and has won accolades for its work internationally. It houses the Kennan Institute, including the personal library of George Kennan, the author of the 'Long Telegram', and the Kissinger Institute on China, together with the Polar Institute, which focuses on Arctic issues. Programmes on Europe, the Middle East and much more will be lost unless new homes can be found – and quickly. The future is also uncertain for the foreign scholars from countries such as Afghanistan and Belarus who faced threats to their lives and careers in their home countries but received residential fellowships at Wilson to carry on their work. A few staff remain to shutter the place before the building is turned over for use by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or 'Ice'. Four polite young men in their twenties, I understand, came to tell the 130 employees to leave, and to fire the CEO (he resigned before they arrived). A couple of them, who had only arrived in DC a few days before, took a few moments to ask the staff for recommendations on what to do and where to eat while in the city. Out of this world I am delighted to be welcoming the astronaut Tim Peake to the inquiry being conducted in the Lords on Britain's engagement with space. I am very fortunate to be chairing a committee with such an enthusiastic, knowledgeable group of peers. All bar one remember the moon landing (well, this is the House of Lords) although one or two were tiny tots when it happened. We have already heard from some serious entrepreneurs doing incredible work in space, from health pioneers able to grow skin in space (it is easier without gravity) to robots that repair satellites in space, rather than having to return everything to the ground each time something needs to be fixed. Professor Brian Cox and the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who commanded the International Space Station, have already given us the benefit of their knowledge. Arguably, the space economy is just an extension of our Earth-based search for economic growth, and the opportunities for the UK are real. Not only do we have brilliant innovators in space technology but also in financial and legal services, as well as experience in dealing with space debris and future regulation. But our entrepreneurs are being offered greater opportunities elsewhere, with fewer risks as part of bigger enterprises, and there is unquestionably a need for more investment. With a return rate of 10:1 seemingly, since the days of the Apollo moon landings, it is a good moment to consider how public and private investment can leverage a uniquely British contribution to the new space race. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Magnum opus I had a strange moment in the House of Lords recently as a Conservative peer of long-standing familiarity with both houses of parliament crossed my path, clutching a bottle of Champagne. He was celebrating his birthday, and noted that the Pugin Room in the Commons sells Champagne more cheaply than the next-door Peers' Guest Room to which he was returning with his booty. MPs' bars get bigger subsidies he noted, with the air of someone who had beaten the system. [See also: Taking on the manosphere death cult] Related
