back to article Crack Army pilot to be first PROPER British astronaut IN SPAAAACE

Ex-Apache helicopter pilot Tim Peake will become the first bona fide British astronaut in space - and live and work on the International Space Station. Tim Peake training in a Soyuz simulator Peake performance ... Tim trains in a Soyuz simulator (Credit: ESA) The former army major, and a serving member of the European …

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  1. Anonymous Coward 15

    When I saw "Crack Army" I thought "as opposed to the Meth Army or the Smack Army?"

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      « When I saw "Crack Army" I thought "as opposed to the Meth Army or the Smack Army?" »

      Methinks you move in some interesting social circles, perchance?

      1. Paul 129
        Angel

        Not to far of a stretch really

        http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123778&page=1

        http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2003/02/57434

        Oh hang on.... Not Crack, ummSpeedy Gonzales?

        Oh I know

        They're Top Guns.... The highest of the high.

      2. Anonymous Coward 15

        Methinks you move in some interesting social circles, perchance?

        Not particularly, but I have been watching Breaking Bad.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    why

    was Helen Sharman not a "proper British astronaut"? (or was it that like the following names, she went up as a USian?)

    1. AdamT

      Re: why

      I think because her flight was as part of a private enterprise that sought some volunteers, performed some selection based on physical and academic qualifications and then paid the USSR for the launch and visit to Mir - so essentially she was a passenger. Whereas Tim Peake is a member of the ESA astronaut corps so it is his profession and he is expected to be able to carry out any astronaut-y activities including e.g. space walks.

      But, yeah, there's probably a bit of official vs. unofficial, amateur vs. professional or private vs. public snobbishness going on too!

    2. pdebarra

      Re: why

      I wondered about that as well. Is it because she's a woman?

      Certainly, everything I see about her in the Fount Of All Knowledge suggests that she was British: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Sharman

      Maybe it's because she's from Sheffield?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: why

      She want to the Mir space station and this guy is the first to go to the ISS

      1. Annihilator
        Facepalm

        Re: why

        @A/C "She want to the Mir space station and this guy is the first to go to the ISS"

        And the headline says "in spaaaace", not "on the I.S.SSsssss". Where did you think Mir was?

    4. Phil S

      Re: why

      As it was Mir, she was a cosmonaut wasn't she?

    5. Richard 116
      Stop

      Re: why

      Clarification required please El Reg.

      Helen Sharman spent 8 days on Mir. In my book that makes her a British astronaut/cosmonaut. Can't get more 'PROPER' than that surely?

    6. CommanderGalaxian
      Alien

      Re: why

      No. She doesn't count, because she answered a job advert to go work in the Soviet space program and got the job ahead of the other 13000 applicants - based on her ability, knowledge, education, drive, appitude, determination, resourcefulness, etc.

      Besides, she's also a woman.

  3. ukgnome
    Alien

    I thought the playmonaut was the first!

    1. A. Coatsworth Silver badge
      Joke

      I'd guess he was born in China...

    2. Anonymaus Cowark

      playmonauts are taikonauts, due to the place of birth

  4. M7S
    Mushroom

    The reason a non-RAF pilot got the gig

    It involves evenings and weekends.

    Icon as our strategic deterrent is with the Navy for the same reason.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: The reason a non-RAF pilot got the gig

      Tee Hee.

      You are Lewis Page in disguise, and I claim my £5...

  5. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Pint

    He'll be the first British 'naut to fly under a *British* flag

    Ms Sharman was sponsored under the private "Juno" project, which (I did not know) was a private effort in the early 1990's

    Tim Peake will be flying as the representative of the UK Space Agency (which did not even exist when Ms Shaman flew).

    Prior to him other Brits have flown having taken US citizenship.

    So the first of( hopefully not) "The few."

  6. JeevesMkII
    Alien

    What about Richard Garriot?

    How much more of a British astronaut can you get than LORD BRITISH himself?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What about Richard Garriot?

      They have to do some work while up there to count as an astronaut, operate some of the space station etc. Otherwise they're just a tourist.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    > Crack Army pilot to be first PROPER British astronaut IN SPAAAACE

    I had to read the title twice. Somehow I read it as "Army Crack Pot to be first PROPER British astronaut IN SPAAAACE"

    :-S

  8. Nosher
    Stop

    "Inspire the Next Generation"

    The phrase "inspire the next generation" really bugs me, because by implication it's writing off the /current/ generation of children. Even at the age of ten I've heard that it's possible to learn new stuff.

    1. Tom_
      FAIL

      Re: "Inspire the Next Generation"

      It's better than writing off the previous generation, like The Register just did by demoting Helen Sharman.

    2. JDX Gold badge

      Re: "Inspire the Next Generation"

      Children are the next generation of adults you silly man.

    3. VinceH
      Coat

      Re: "Inspire the Next Generation"

      How can The Next Generation be inspired by things that happen after it was made?

      Oh wait, that isn't a Star Trek reference, is it? Sorry, by bad.

      1. DJO Silver badge

        Re: "Inspire the Next Generation"

        I hope that he will inspire the next generation to pursue exciting careers in science and engineering

        Er, why? From example choosing a career in the RAF would seem to be a better bet if you want to be an astronaut.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Inspire the Next Generation"

      True. Plus you'd inspire a lot more people to do science if you dropped all student fees and loans and gave them a grant. Would work out a lot cheaper than a space programme.

  9. Kubla Cant

    Countdown commencing

    Breaks the metre, it should be "Commencing countdown".

  10. Dom 3

    Foale, Sellers, and Patrick are all dual nationals AFAIK. Foale has an American mother so always was, the other two acquired US citizenship along the way.

  11. HKmk23

    Why a helicopter pilot

    Why is a special services pilot going up instead of a scientist? Have they got a mission to rub someone out? Or are aliens likely to attack the ISS?

    Sounds like jobs for the boy's in this case the Brylcreem boys.....

  12. asdf
    Trollface

    surprising

    Can't believe more Brits haven't been in orbit. Guess between the dragging the UK into war, friendly fire in said wars and a million other disses (come on really NASA) there is a reason why the UK readership loves using the Assange articles to rip the piss out of the US.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well, you're doing (slightly) better than Australia

    We've only had Andy Thomas (Australian citizen) and Paul Scully-Powers (Australian born) venture into space.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's setting a precedent,...

    the next British Astronaut will also be a chopper pilot but ginger and with a posh accent (Jolly's for the boys, methinks)

  15. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Pint

    I do not care whether he is first or second: there is going to be (another) British astronaut. Cheers to him

  16. R J Tysoe
    Mushroom

    I think Sarah Brightman is the next Brit in space.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    crack army?

    isn't that a load of builders?

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bah! Nothing to see here

    What I want to know is who is going to be the first IMPROPER British astronaut in space.

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