British astronaut dials wrong number on call from space

He apparently dialled the wrong number and said, “Hello, is this planet Earth?” to a woman on the receiving line who did not know him.

British astronaut and test pilot Tim Peake, who is now aboard the International Space Station, has apologized for calling the wrong number. Peake, 43, tried to call his family on Monday, but had to leave a message-as they weren’t home.

Tim Peake divulged this on microblogging site Twitter. He is spending six months there, conducting scientific experiments.

Meanwhile, flying low over the rooftops, it could easily be mistaken for Santa’s sleigh.

Peake is among a crew of six men now based at the space station. Both NASA astronauts went outside the station to fix a stalled component called the “mobile transporter” which helps move a robotic arm up and down.

It could be seen as a bright light crossing the sky after sunset on Christmas Day, soaring 250 miles over the French-Spanish border.

He is expected to fly over London at some point during Christmas Day.