back to article ESA chooses British army officer as astronaut

In an unexpected move, the European Space Agency (ESA) has selected a British army officer as one of its second-ever batch of astronauts. Major Timothy Peake, an Apache attack-helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps, could fly to the International Space Station as soon as 2013. “We are at a turning point in ESA’s human …

COMMENTS

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  1. Mick F

    we're doomed..

    ..aye doomed!

    Still - better than RAF totally screwing it up.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    One unanswered question

    In order that he meet perceived international stereotypes, does Major Peake have a truly splendid waxed moustache and a pipe?

  3. Remy Redert

    @Mike Richards

    He might be able to keep the moustache if he has one, but you do understand he'll need to lose the pipe if he's to go up into space. Right?

    So much for international stereotypes.

  4. Fredly
    Thumb Up

    Never one to miss a dig at the RAF....

    ...is our Mr Page

    "Peake's selection will doubtless have caused some bitterness in the Royal Air Force,"

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: though he never flew in space

    Can you fly in space?

    I think that will be my question at the next moderatrix's question time.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Continuing the stereotype...

    Well they couldn't send a Frenchman, the moment he got frightened he'd start waving him white handkerchief about.

  7. jeffrey
    Alert

    @One unanswered question

    Furthermore, in light of the south koreans developing kim chee for their astronauts, and the indians developing a suitable space based curry: It raises the question, will a group be assigned (at vast expense) to develop a suitable method for brewing a good cup of tea, and will they also be providing a british menu for our brave spacefearing ginger, perhaps jellied eels, pie and mash, a full roast beef dinner, and the full english to wake up to in the morning?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Not real army

    Still a flyboy.

    Might have been different if they'd sent an artillery Major up there, or better a British NCO. ("hard vacuum? - I've seen harder etc..... "

  9. Paul

    @Remy Redert

    Ye. Like all good British Heros he will be smoking his pipe as he climes to the craft, tapping it out on the side, and tucking it in to his top pocket befor entering.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Remy Redert

    'He might be able to keep the moustache if he has one, but you do understand he'll need to lose the pipe if he's to go up into space. Right?'

    But... but... but... Dan Dare had a pipe:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/12220922@N05/2683800114

    The pressing need for a zero-G pipe requires the full application of the best of British boffinry. Since we don't have a DARPA to call our own...

    Gentlemen! To your sheds and prepare for blast-off.

  11. J Day
    Boffin

    WAFFU

    Well , I guess it's also a good job no WAFFU (Navy Airforce person) b@st@rd didn't get it !!

    The world is a safer place because of this!!!!

  12. Snake Plissken

    About bloody time

    I was at Kennedy Space Center last week (though saw the Atlantis launch from elsewhere) and the lack of British representation is absolutely shocking. Unsurprising, but when you see the pride of the people from the countries working on the various space programmes, it did make me embarassed.

  13. Damien Thorn
    Alien

    genie

    if he brings a strange bottle back make sure you send it straight back.

    We all dream of jeanie, we had a tv show, so we know what can happen with those bottles.

  14. SkippyBing

    There's only one F in WAFU

    Actually there are loads of F'ing WAFUs, but the acronym makes no sense with two.

  15. Christoph

    @Mike Richards

    He can't have the handlebar moustache, it won't fit in the helmet.

  16. Uncle Slacky Silver badge

    @Mike Richards

    We do have our own version of DARPA - DSTL (still government-owned IIRC) and (sort-of) Qinetiq. ISTR a TV documentary a while back showing them gamely trying to copy stuff they'd seen in SF movies.

    BTW - missing you over on the MT list...

  17. Uncle Slacky Silver badge

    @jeffrey

    There'll be a machine that produces a beverage that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea...

  18. Mr Larrington
    Flame

    And as one would expect...

    ...the meeja is full of groan-inducing "Space Oddity" puns this morning. Anyone else coming up with a variation on the theme of "Ground Control to Major Tim" will be introduced to my friend Mr Shovel.

  19. Jon Robinson
    Joke

    Would that be the ...

    Major Peake of his career then?

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    re Continuing the stereotype...

    I don't think any self respecting Frenchman would go, once he'd seen the catering arrangements...

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