British astronaut pledges a didgeridoo space concert
BRITAIN’S first home-grown astronaut promises to give an out-of-this-world concert using a didgeridoo.
Major Tim Peake is to join the five-month UK-backed European Space Agency mission to the International Space Station.
The 41-year-old pledged not to try to match the guitar skills of Canadian astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield, the David Bowie fan who gained a million followers on Twitter by performing the song Space Oddity.
But Major Peake, a Chichester-born married father-of-two, hinted he could make music on the didgeridoo.
The former Army helicopter pilot said: “A friend has offered to teach me how to play it. I do play the guitar, but very badly, and I wouldn’t inflict my singing on anybody.”
More seriously, he described his appointment as a “true privilege” adding: “It feels like a real high point in a long career in aviation.
“I’m grateful to my family, friends and colleagues who are supporting me for the challenge. The mission is going to be a wonderful opportunity, not just for Europe and European science but for the UK as well.”
A friend has offered to teach me how to play it. I do play the guitar, but very badly, and I wouldn’t inflict my singing on anybody.
David Cameron described Major Peake’s appointment as a “momentous day for Great Britain”.
The Prime Minister added: “It is a great sign of our thriving space sector, which has seen growth thanks to our research and supports 30,000 jobs.
“What an achievement that Tim was picked for this historic role from over 8,000 applicants.”
The first Briton in space was Sheffield- born Helen Sharman, who took part in a Soviet mission in 1991.
A handful of Britons have flown on the US space shuttle but Major Peake is the first Briton to be accepted into the European Astronaut Corps..
He will lift off from Kazakhstan in a Soyuz rocket in November 2015.