Major Tim Peake CMG made history in 2015 as the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station, where he spent six months carrying out vital research – and found time to raise awareness for the Prince’s Trust by participating in the London Marathon on the ISS’s treadmill.
He was also the first Brit to carry out a spacewalk, venturing outside the Station to fix a broken electrical box. The British Army Air Corps Officer is a former Apache pilot, flight instructor, test pilot and has been an astronaut with the European Space Agency since 2009. He is also an ambassador for STEM education, The Princes’ Trust and the Scout Association. Tim will be in Oxford on 11 September as part of his tour, My Journey to Space.
What Makes Tim…
Happy
Being outdoors, having adventures with my family. It’s pretty simple! In terms of places, we love Scotland and anywhere with wild open spaces. Activities-wise, we love hiking, kayaking, snorkelling and wild camping – especially if we can get great views of the stars.
Sad
When extremes of views from the minorities dominate society’s conversations and drown out the voices of reason. Media and social media content are so driven by the need for views, clicks and likes, that the extremes take over. The vast majority of people have pretty reasonable views but those thoughtful conversations often don’t get heard.
Reflective
Talking to school children makes me reflective. It makes me think back to my own childhood and the opportunities I had and the people who inspired me – and I reflect on all that they have to come ahead of them.
Confident
Training gives me confidence, which is a good thing as a pilot and astronaut. I’ve spent huge amounts of time in my life training, whether for space walks, or flying helicopters or fast jets. Training gives you the confidence to do challenging things well.
Angry
I’m not really an angry person, but I get frustrated when I see progress being deliberately obstructed for the benefit of a few.
Excited about space
Humans returning to the Moon is hugely exciting. We’re starting that journey this year with an uncrewed mission, then a crewed mission next year, with a view to establishing permanent habitation and building bases on the Moon – all as a stepping-stone to further exploration of Mars. The new images from the James Webb Space Telescope are also incredible, to be able to see so far back in time and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Lots of things excite me – riding my motorbike, flying still excites me even after all these years. But perhaps most of all, the future excites me. There are a lot of challenges ahead, but some really exciting opportunities to do great things in science, technology and engineering.
“The tour My Journey to Space embellishes on the stories in my book, Limitless. It takes you through how I got to be where I am, doing what I do, and what it takes to become an astronaut.”
Tim Peake, My Journey to Space visits Oxford New Theatre on Sunday, September 11. Tickets are on sale now from fane.co.uk/timpeake or direct from the venue.
