SMALL SCREEN
THE long-awaited new Star Wars film – The Force Awakens – doesn’t hit the big screen until later next week, but before that, something even more exciting is happening in outer space.
On Tuesday, December 15, Britain’s very own Tim Peake is set to make history when he launches into space on a six-month mission for the European Space Agency (ESA).
The astronaut will be the first Brit to serve a mission on the International Space Station (ISS) on a UK government sponsored assignment. Exciting stuff – but with Peake in space, and us still down on Earth – how will we stay updated on his progress?
To keep us abreast of the action, the BBC are showing a series of special programmes, including one on launch day, hosted by Professor Brian Cox and Dara O’Briain, using live link-ups to cameras in the rocket. Before Major Peake blasts off, let’s take a look at the ins and outs of the historic event... WHO IS TIM PEAKE? CHICHESTER-BORN Peake, 43, is a married father-of-two who worked as a British Army Air Corps officer for many years. During his career, he has served as a reconnaissance pilot and flight commander, qualified as a helicopter flying instructor and worked as a military training officer, retiring from the army in 2009 after 17 years of service. Peake spent three years training as an astronaut at the ESA and was selected for this mission in 2013. Very physically active outside of work too, he enjoys caving, cross-country running, climbing and triathlon. WHAT MAKES THIS LAUNCH DIFFERENT? OTHER UK-born astronauts have gone into orbit through NASA or on independent ventures with assistance from the Russian Space Agency. What makes Peake’s mission unique though is that fact it’s a UK government sponsored programme. He is also the first British citizen to be selected for astronaut training by the ESA – and, to add to that, the first UK astronaut in space for more than 20 years. WILL HE BE ALONE? NO. KEEPING Peake company are NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko. WHAT WILL THEY BE DOING IN SPACE? PEAKE is going to be in space for a whopping six months, during which time he’ll be working on a scientific
Presenting duties... Professor Brian Cox (left) and Dara O’Briain assignment. Called Principia, after Sir Isaac Newton’s groundbreaking text outlining the laws of motion and gravity, the mission will involve conducting a large number of experiments, including growing blood vessel cells, protein crystals and rocket leaves in weightless conditions, and investigating the properties of metals. WHAT PREPARATION HAVE THEY DONE? IN THE run-up to the launch, all three astronauts have been preparing for the experiments, plus they’ve undergone medical check-ups and extreme physical training to prepare them for the conditions they will face in outer space. They’ve also been trained to perform spacewalks, in case they should need to exit the space station to carry out works or repairs on the outside. Peake has also been learning to speak Russian, but admits he’s not a “natural linguist”. WHAT ARE HIS BIGGEST CHALLENGES? WELL, not the ones you might expect – the loneliness, danger and fear of the unknown – but keeping the toilet in working order. “It might not seem like a very glamorous task for an astronaut but we do spend an awful lot of time fixing the loo,” Peake told school children in September.
Wondering how the loo manages to flush in zero gravity? “In terms of using it, it’s really very straightforward. It just uses air suction and a big fan to keep everything going in the right direction,” Peake explained. HOW IS HE FEELING ABOUT IT? NERVOUS, excited, thrilled... all that and more. “On launch day, of course there’s going to be some apprehension,” Peake said recently. “You’re sat on top of 300 tonnes of fuel and you’re basically just going to be focused on the mission and what’s to come. It’s important to say goodbye to friends and family and just draw a line and really focus on the mission ahead.” WHAT WILL BE ON TV? THERE will also be a Horizon special offering insight into the lives of astronauts and a raft of special programmes for children. On launch day itself, O’Briain and Cox will present a special programme from the Science Museum in London. Cameras will show footage of Peake from his capsule before and during blast off. Later, O’Briain and Cox will give the latest coverage, tracking Peake as he docks his Soyuz capsule with the ISS. Peake will then speak from on board the ISS. MARATHON CHALLENGE AS IF it’s not enough of an endurance test that he’s heading into space, Peake has decided to take part in the London Marathon, albeit running the 26.2 miles strapped to a treadmill, 250 miles above Earth. “One of the biggest challenges I’ll be facing is the harness system,” he’s said. “In microgravity, I would float if I didn’t strap myself down to the treadmill, so I have to wear a harness system that’s a bit similar to a rucksack. I don’t think I’ll be setting any personal bests. I’ve set myself a goal of anywhere between threeand-a-half to four hours,” said the spaceman, who will be running in support of The Prince’s Trust.
Horizon Tim Peake Special: How To Be An Astronaut airs on BBC2 on Sunday at 8pm.
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