Lift-off for first British astronaut
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It was a case of "ground control to Major Tim – where are you?" yesterday as Britain's first official astronaut missed his train back from Paris after the announcement that he was one of the six European astronauts with the right stuff to join the next generation to fly in space.
The 37-year-old test pilot is more accustomed to flying Apache attack helicopters than catching the Eurostar. "It's been a busy 48 hours and I'm just absorbing what has happened," Major Peake said yesterday.
"As a test pilot, to become an astronaut is really the pinnacle of one's career, but from my point of view it is both a culmination of a childhood dream as well as the pinnacle of my aviation career. Obviously, it's an incredibly privileged position to be in."
The European Space Agency said that Major Peake now has a real chance of being one of the chosen few who will fly to the International Space Station "and beyond" over the next 10 years of European space exploration.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments