# Major to be astronaut



## John A Silkstone (May 21, 2009)

Briton chosen for European space mission

Briton Major Timothy Peake was named by the European Space Agency today as one of its six new astronauts. 

Timothy Peake: Maj Peake, 37, from Salisbury in Wiltshire, spent 18 years as an officer in the Army 

He was chosen for missions to the International Space Station "and one day to the Moon and beyond" after a gruelling selection process which attracted more than 8,400 people, said the ESA. 

His selection, announced at a press conference in Paris, is a surprise as the UK has so far opted out of the agency's human spaceflight programme. 

Speaking at the press conference this afternoon, the clearly delighted new astronaut said: "It is a unique opportunity in my life to be part of a team that can have such a positive effect on humanity. 

"I feel it's a great privilege to be part of the team and I'm very happy to be working alongside some very talented people." 

Major Peake's selection as one of the European Space Agency's six new astronauts comes after a distinguished army career that saw him become one of the forces' foremost helicopter pilots. 

His journey to the verge of space exploration began 17 years ago. 

In August 1992, he was commissioned into the Army Air Corps (AAC) and subsequently completed an eight-month attachment to The Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland, where he served as a Platoon Commander. 

He then attended the Army Pilots Course and gained his wings in June 1994 before being posted to Germany as a Gazelle pilot. 

During his first tour, he spent five months flying in Northern Ireland before gaining aircraft commander and flight commander status. 

He was deployed around the world, to Kenya and later on operations to Bosnia. He attended exercises in Canada, Cyprus and Denmark. 

In January 1998, he attended a Qualified Helicopter Instructors course at RAF Shawbury and was then selected for an exchange posting to the United States, where he flew the Apache helicopter as a Platoon Commander. 

He returned from the US in September 2002 and was posted to Middle Wallop as one of the first British qualified helicopter instructors to instruct on the UK Apache. 

He was subsequently commended for his role in introducing the UK Apache into service. 

He was selected for Empire Test Pilot School in January 2005 and, on graduating, was posted to Rotary Wing Test Squadron, Boscombe Down. 

There he was employed as the senior Apache test pilot and Squadron Training Officer, in addition to conducting Special Forces projects. 

Major Peake recently retired from the Army Air Corps and began working for Augusta Westland as a senior test pilot, primarily flight testing Apache and Lynx helicopters. 

He has a degree in Flight Dynamics and Evaluation and has flown more than 30 helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft types, accumulating more than 3,000 hours of flight time. 

He has been married to Rebecca for nine years and has a four-month-old son, Thomas. 

He currently lives in MoD quarters at Larkhill, Salisbury, and enjoys diving and skiing in his spare time.


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