7 ms·

Tim Peake: UK astronaut heads for space station

103 points by jackgavigan 11y ago

deleted 11y ago
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- estel 11y ago
  Which feed were you watching? BBC2 had Chris Hadfield and Brian Cox, who probably count as their mainstream science programming big guns.
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dingaling 11y ago
Spare a thought for Helen Sharman, actually the first British-born astronaut who ascended to Mir in May 1991 in the 'pre-Twitter' era. Even wore a Union Flag arm-patch... http://www.americaspace.com/?p=35932 http://www.americaspace.com/?p=35932
- jackgavigan 11y ago
  Helen's trip to space was primarily funded privately (with the Soviet Union making up the shortfall). Tim is the UK's first official astronaut - i.e. he's being paid to go to space, rather than paying to do so.
- eponeponepon 11y ago
  In fairness, most of the coverage I've seen (at least in reputable publications) has been very clear that he's the first British citizen on board the ISS, rather than the first British astronaut. I'm sure that won't stop half the country reading the headlines and getting the wrong idea, but hey ho.
  - bofussing 11y ago
    Michael Foale (dual American and British Citizen) was on the Internation Space Station in 2003. He still holds the cumulative-time-in-space record for a UK citizen. He was a NASA astronaut whilst on the ISS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foale
  - rtkwe 11y ago
    Isn't he the first to do it as an ESA astronaut instead of through NASA with dual citizenship (but as a US trained astronaut) or through a Russian space tourism junket? It's a pretty big deal to get to send your own astronaut up vs just having a citizen up there but working for a different agency IMO.
- hoorayimhelping 11y ago
  She was the first Briton in space. She didn't go through astronaut training so she wasn't actually an official astronaut which is what the article is claiming. Not sure what it being pre-twitter has to do with anything, though.
- rmc 11y ago
  But this is a man!
  - ibmthrowaway271 11y ago
    He's the 6th Brit in space, the 5th man. > https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28666-first-official-uk-astronaut-tim-peake-takes-fast-route-to-iss/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28666-first-official-... " Despite what you may have heard, Peake is actually the sixth Brit in space. The first was chemist Helen Sharman, who flew to the Russian Mir space station in 1991 as part of Project Juno, a jointly funded mission between a private consortium and Russia. She was followed by the British-born astronauts Michael Foale, Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick, who all took US citizenship and flew on NASA missions, and Richard Garriott, a video game developer who went to the ISS as a space tourist. "
- bshimmin 11y ago
  I was pretty young at the time, but Helen Sharman was a really big deal back then, Twitter or no Twitter. I imagine most British people in their early thirties or older would remember the name with only a bit of prompting (though I concede it would be a moderately challenging "pub quiz" trivia question).
- gadders 11y ago
  That's as maybe, but Tim Peake also claimed a another first - first Ginger in space. I should point out he has claimed this himself. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/gingernaut-to-boldy-push-medical-frontier/news-story/4b233aa4c8a9cbceadf1d38da238f4dd http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/gingern...
afsina 11y ago
Space station will get the heads of UK astronauts? That's terrible.
imdsm 11y ago
For anyone who missed it, here is some coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6q3l_1oY-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6q3l_1oY-0
MarcScott 11y ago
And two Raspberry Pi computers are awaiting him on the ISS, running code written by British school children.
MarcScott 11y ago
And two Raspberry Pi computers are awaiting him on the ISS, running code written by British school children.
deepnet 11y ago
'fleet forever ! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dan-Dare-Spacefleet-Operations-Workshop/dp/0857332864 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dan-Dare-Spacefleet-Operations-Works... Congratulations.
eljayuu 11y ago
Proud to be British today. I think Space X are due to launch again soon, looking forward to seeing a successful dragon 9 landing.
- imdsm 11y ago
  Looking at potentially Saturday for a launch last I heard
lamby 11y ago
If space travel can teach us anything, it's that broadcasting the specific patch of ground you were born in is a ridiculous, tribalistic contrivance.
- benten10 11y ago
  As long as we are at it, for sarcasm purposes, I'll generalize it further: If anything can teach us anything, any kind of identity is a ridiculous contrivance. But. We're humans. Our different identities make us feel the 'special snowflakes' that we really aren't, to allow us our sanity to get day-to-day job done. Regional identities are PARTICULARLY useful, as they help unite groups of people who share a common history, traditional, and cultural memory. Not to mention, them having a common identity creates peace and harmony within a geographical region and lets them work as a team [with people who perhaps don't share ANYTHING with them except the geography]. Any of the identities you have (religion? 'technie'? some sort of sci-fi fan?) can be just as equally attacked, with equal pointless gains. Of all your identities, I would argue your geographical one would STILL be the strongest/be benefitting you the most, regardless of how much an irrelevant contrivance you consider it to be. Communication/technology has not erased geographical boundaries: it has just made more people desire the same boundaries (ie, shown how some places are more desirable). Discounting 'the specific patch of ground you were born in' is an incredibly privileged and individualistic way of seeing things. Your words reek of the techno-liberto-utopianism that completely disregards history and social context, and discounts the fact that we are, after all, humans, not ideal machines who ought to not get carried away by those dang namby-pamby emotions.
  - polymatter 11y ago
    There is a distinct difference between an identity that I have chosen based on my personal preferences and one that is forced upon me by circumstance. One I can change and has deep significance to me. One is assigned and immutable and has very little direct influence in my day to day life. You have the strange notion that without nationalism to enforce an identity on myself that naturally there is no way my neighbor and me can live in "peace and harmony". I suggest that I can work with other people just fine, even if I don't share an identity with them. In fact, if you can only work peacefully with people similar to yourself I believe that is discrimination of some form or another. I realize no human is an ideal machine, but any person with empathy really ought to be able to work with women/men/muslims/jews/french/british/german/ginger/blond/tall/short/disabled people without issue - especially if they want to remain employed in the modern world. Finally, please avoid insulting people who express a different opinion to your own.
linker3000 11y ago
My son is delighted; he attends the same school as did Tim Peake and today there are a number of special, in-house activities surrounding the launch. An hour or so ago, he sent me a text message to say he'd been on live radio!
- jackgavigan 11y ago
  Looks like the BCC TV cameras were there too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35104825 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35104825
osullivj 11y ago
I saw the Cosmonauts expo [1] at the Science Museum a few weeks back; strongly recommended if you're interested in the Soviet space programme and are in London. The expo includes a real Soyuz capsule and onboard computer. I'll be tuning in at 7pm tonight to see the Soyuz dock with the ISS. [1] http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/cosmonauts.aspx http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/...

103 points by jackgavigan 11y ago

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

estel 11y ago
Which feed were you watching? BBC2 had Chris Hadfield and Brian Cox, who probably count as their mainstream science programming big guns.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

dingaling 11y ago

Spare a thought for Helen Sharman, actually the first British-born astronaut who ascended to Mir in May 1991 in the 'pre-Twitter' era. Even wore a Union Flag arm-patch... http://www.americaspace.com/?p=35932 http://www.americaspace.com/?p=35932

jackgavigan 11y ago
Helen's trip to space was primarily funded privately (with the Soviet Union making up the shortfall). Tim is the UK's first official astronaut - i.e. he's being paid to go to space, rather than paying to do so.
eponeponepon 11y ago
In fairness, most of the coverage I've seen (at least in reputable publications) has been very clear that he's the first British citizen on board the ISS, rather than the first British astronaut. I'm sure that won't stop half the country reading the headlines and getting the wrong idea, but hey ho.
- bofussing 11y ago
  Michael Foale (dual American and British Citizen) was on the Internation Space Station in 2003. He still holds the cumulative-time-in-space record for a UK citizen. He was a NASA astronaut whilst on the ISS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foale
- rtkwe 11y ago
  Isn't he the first to do it as an ESA astronaut instead of through NASA with dual citizenship (but as a US trained astronaut) or through a Russian space tourism junket? It's a pretty big deal to get to send your own astronaut up vs just having a citizen up there but working for a different agency IMO.
hoorayimhelping 11y ago
She was the first Briton in space. She didn't go through astronaut training so she wasn't actually an official astronaut which is what the article is claiming. Not sure what it being pre-twitter has to do with anything, though.
rmc 11y ago
But this is a man!
- ibmthrowaway271 11y ago
  He's the 6th Brit in space, the 5th man. > https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28666-first-official-uk-astronaut-tim-peake-takes-fast-route-to-iss/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28666-first-official-... " Despite what you may have heard, Peake is actually the sixth Brit in space. The first was chemist Helen Sharman, who flew to the Russian Mir space station in 1991 as part of Project Juno, a jointly funded mission between a private consortium and Russia. She was followed by the British-born astronauts Michael Foale, Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick, who all took US citizenship and flew on NASA missions, and Richard Garriott, a video game developer who went to the ISS as a space tourist. "
bshimmin 11y ago
I was pretty young at the time, but Helen Sharman was a really big deal back then, Twitter or no Twitter. I imagine most British people in their early thirties or older would remember the name with only a bit of prompting (though I concede it would be a moderately challenging "pub quiz" trivia question).
gadders 11y ago
That's as maybe, but Tim Peake also claimed a another first - first Ginger in space. I should point out he has claimed this himself. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/gingernaut-to-boldy-push-medical-frontier/news-story/4b233aa4c8a9cbceadf1d38da238f4dd http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/gingern...

afsina 11y ago

Space station will get the heads of UK astronauts? That's terrible.

imdsm 11y ago

For anyone who missed it, here is some coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6q3l_1oY-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6q3l_1oY-0

MarcScott 11y ago

And two Raspberry Pi computers are awaiting him on the ISS, running code written by British school children.

MarcScott 11y ago

And two Raspberry Pi computers are awaiting him on the ISS, running code written by British school children.

deepnet 11y ago

'fleet forever ! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dan-Dare-Spacefleet-Operations-Workshop/dp/0857332864 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dan-Dare-Spacefleet-Operations-Works... Congratulations.

eljayuu 11y ago

Proud to be British today. I think Space X are due to launch again soon, looking forward to seeing a successful dragon 9 landing.

imdsm 11y ago
Looking at potentially Saturday for a launch last I heard

lamby 11y ago

If space travel can teach us anything, it's that broadcasting the specific patch of ground you were born in is a ridiculous, tribalistic contrivance.

benten10 11y ago
As long as we are at it, for sarcasm purposes, I'll generalize it further: If anything can teach us anything, any kind of identity is a ridiculous contrivance. But. We're humans. Our different identities make us feel the 'special snowflakes' that we really aren't, to allow us our sanity to get day-to-day job done. Regional identities are PARTICULARLY useful, as they help unite groups of people who share a common history, traditional, and cultural memory. Not to mention, them having a common identity creates peace and harmony within a geographical region and lets them work as a team [with people who perhaps don't share ANYTHING with them except the geography]. Any of the identities you have (religion? 'technie'? some sort of sci-fi fan?) can be just as equally attacked, with equal pointless gains. Of all your identities, I would argue your geographical one would STILL be the strongest/be benefitting you the most, regardless of how much an irrelevant contrivance you consider it to be. Communication/technology has not erased geographical boundaries: it has just made more people desire the same boundaries (ie, shown how some places are more desirable). Discounting 'the specific patch of ground you were born in' is an incredibly privileged and individualistic way of seeing things. Your words reek of the techno-liberto-utopianism that completely disregards history and social context, and discounts the fact that we are, after all, humans, not ideal machines who ought to not get carried away by those dang namby-pamby emotions.
- polymatter 11y ago
  There is a distinct difference between an identity that I have chosen based on my personal preferences and one that is forced upon me by circumstance. One I can change and has deep significance to me. One is assigned and immutable and has very little direct influence in my day to day life. You have the strange notion that without nationalism to enforce an identity on myself that naturally there is no way my neighbor and me can live in "peace and harmony". I suggest that I can work with other people just fine, even if I don't share an identity with them. In fact, if you can only work peacefully with people similar to yourself I believe that is discrimination of some form or another. I realize no human is an ideal machine, but any person with empathy really ought to be able to work with women/men/muslims/jews/french/british/german/ginger/blond/tall/short/disabled people without issue - especially if they want to remain employed in the modern world. Finally, please avoid insulting people who express a different opinion to your own.

linker3000 11y ago

My son is delighted; he attends the same school as did Tim Peake and today there are a number of special, in-house activities surrounding the launch. An hour or so ago, he sent me a text message to say he'd been on live radio!

jackgavigan 11y ago
Looks like the BCC TV cameras were there too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35104825 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35104825

osullivj 11y ago

I saw the Cosmonauts expo [1] at the Science Museum a few weeks back; strongly recommended if you're interested in the Soviet space programme and are in London. The expo includes a real Soyuz capsule and onboard computer. I'll be tuning in at 7pm tonight to see the Soyuz dock with the ISS. [1] http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/cosmonauts.aspx http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/...