British astronaut hopes to see new Star Wars movie in space

The 43-year-old retired army major from Salisbury will lift off from Kazakhstan with American Nasa astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko.

It was only when a deal was struck following discussions with the ESA itself that British astronauts were given the chance and now Mr Peake is the first of a new generation.

Peake’s mission has generated considerable excitement in Britain, where the government unveiled an ambitious new Space Policy on the eve of his departure for the International Space Station.

After lift-off, it should take six hours for the crew to reach the ISS, which travels around the Earth at 17,500mph at an average altitude of 220 miles.

“The closer you get to space flight, the more optimistic you get”.

Chris Hadfield, aka the man who went viral when he sang David Bowie’s Space Oddity on the ISS, talks about the difficulties involved in getting there, while Dallas Campbell is our man in Kazakhstan, as he reports from the launch site and reveals just how the rocket has been assembled.

Then, at around 2.15pm local time, the three space-suited astronauts left to deliver the traditional salute to Cosmodrome officials and boarded the bus to the launch pad.

Rising slowing at first from a conflagration of smoke and fumes, the rocket quickly picked up speed until it became a bright star fading from sight.

There will be a small exhibit of space-related models and parts of the NASA space shuttle that has flown into space.

“Any time two vehicles come in close proximity in space is hazardous”, Major Peake said.

Well-wishers gathered waving Union flags, cheering and shouting “Go Tim” as Major Peake and his two crew companions departed from the Cosmonaut Hotel for their flight.

He is also the first British citizen to be selected for astronaut training by the ESA – and, to add to that, the first United Kingdom astronaut in space for more than 20 years.

National Space Academy Manager Dr Kierann Shah told us: “It is absolutely fantastic to know that our Lead Educators are celebrating this historic event with their schools”. Peake has also been learning to speak Russian, but admits he’s not a “natural linguist”.

Nervous, excited, thrilled… all that and more. ” she said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program”.

To find out how Tim is preparing check out our live blog.

He will also run the distance of the London Marathon in April, but on a treadmill aboard the ISS.

“I have to wear a harness system that’s a bit similar to a rucksack”, said Peake.

Once in space they will move to the spherical orbital module which is only slightly more spacious and attaches to the ISS.

“I’m not quite sure it’s going to taste the same”, he said.