"Is anyone else slightly embarrassed that the UK, as one of the world's leading industrialised nations, should be celebrating getting the first UK sponsored astronaut 44 years after the first man in space?"

Please don't feel embarrassed. The USA should be instead for not inviting our good friends the UK sooner. And if you figured the average cost the US paid sending each astronaut to space, you might be happy the UK did not follow suit. And I'm actually an advocate of US manned space travel.

Us Brits love slobbering over old fashioned behind the times activities don't we:
This guy is 40+ years behind the times and the press are having an orgasm over it. When will we become a modern forward thinking nation?
Why aren't we pumping this sort of money into the Mars project or something as spectacular - not another bus ride to a clapped out hulk in space.
It's slightly embarrasing that we are making such a fuss over what is mundane in the USA and Russia.

:zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz:

I like watching big rockets blasting into space.

They're the only things I know that can burn through money faster than my wife.

TBH, I expect this "mundane" orbital spaceflight is the limit for the next 50 years. It might be that a good reason to establish a "Moonbase" will also start in that time but, I do not think that a successful manned "visit" to another planet will occur within 100 years. Let's face it, we are limited to (part of) the Solar system folks,....until Scotty sorts out the Warp drive!;)

OAP

Ooops, PS, Well done Tim!:D

Oh FFS this is a boring sh!te. I endured nearly 20 mins of inane drivel this morning on Radio 4 hoping they would go to a newsworthy news item. Then there was a whole 15 mins during the Radio 4 six o'clock news on someone who is the 7th Brit in space. What else got a 30 secs slot of time on Radio 4? Unimportant stuff like:

1. US schools shut over terror threat.
2. Islamic anti-terror coalition forms.
3. Paris attack suspect arrested.
4. UK inflation goes positive.
5. UK armed policeman might be facing a manslaughter charge for a shooting.

But, no, we have to endure inane drivel about the 7th Brit in space. At present they are waiting for him to come through a door - what next, 'first' (not really) UK dump in space...? :ugh:

It seems to me that the BBC have bought the rights to this and so they are going to bombard us with this drivel for a few more days. Or the Govt have an agenda and there will be some sort of announcement following all this fawning.

Getting v, v, bored now. Thank goodness they have just wheeled out Helen Sharman on BBC 2 and Brian Cox is giving her credit as the 'first UK astronaut'.

Well done Brian. :D and well done Tim. :D

Now can we please move along as its all a bit embarassing as others have already stated.

LJ

Leon ...

Humm ... This was released today ...

Emerging Requirements : UK Spaceport

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...g-requirements

Yet we can't decide on where to increase future runway capacity around London :suspect:

My goodness you lot are killjoys!

Well done Tim, enjoy the ride, you've done so very well. Yes, Tim Mace was a great guy too - so for his sake as well, I'm proud to have an Army Aviator in Space......

Thanks Coff

That might be it. There is something going on, I'm sure of it. I can't understand all this fawning.

I heard another interesting fact on the news today that the ESA selection process for Tim had involved 8,000 applicants. From Project Juno that Helen Sharman was selected from there were 13,000.

The more that I think about it, the more I am convinced that some Machievelian plan is being spun from this story...

LJ

PS. Ewe Lander. No, I'm delighted for Tim for fulfilling his dreams. I just don't need it 'rammed down my throat' by every single BBC news media outlet at present. :ok:

LJ, so Tim Peake was selected from 8000 applicants, and Tim Mace (RIP) was second from 13,000 (your facts not mine), not bad for a small Corps within the British Army?? :ok:

Coff and LJ,
I larffed and I larffed at that total Carp about a UK Spaceport. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,...etc.
Seriously, WHO is spending our money (TAX) on this?:yuk:

OAP

Here is another with the headline "the UK launches its first National Space Policy as Britain's first ESA astronaut launches"

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/n...o-science-fact

So this is what the fuss is all about - it's Government spin and the 'independent' BBC!

LJ

ewe - there have still been 2x British born space shuttle astronauts that began their flying training with the RAF that have gone into space...meeow! :cool:

LJ, I served in 4 RAF Sqns, so please don't assume - just proud for the lad! Woof!

I can't think of any RAF pilot that would volunteer for a six months stint with no TGIFs.

LJ,..Stop it..my sides are hurting just reading that Gov. Carp.

OAP

OAP, I know mate, it now makes sense with that document and Coff's discovery why we're putting up with the big fanfare of the 7th Brit in space...:*

Fareast - yes, the irony is fantastic, the Brit astronauts that learmed to fly with the RAF travelled into space in the Space Shuttle with style, panache and relative comfort. Whereas the pongo went a bit later in 7th place in the space vehicle equivalent of a Vauxhall Viva. :p

True Leon.
But Comrade Korolev's Viva is still puttering along... whereas the Space Shuttle...

Tim's rocket wasn't the only thing launched by the Russians today:

He's the first proper British astronaut for God's sake. He didn't either pay for his ride or change nationality to help get the ride. If you negative blighters don't like the coverage, don't watch it. Strewth!

Hmm, does it really matter who is first etc ? Perhaps from a national perspective, the fact that we can't put our own people up there without other nations help, belies all claims. Can anyone tell me who is the first native Briton who went in to space on a British launched space vehicle ? Perhaps, as usual, our media are groping for anything that can sell chip wrappings. I see the PM has not failed to make the photo op either. Well done Major Peake, whatever your number in the sequence, there's no doubt you carry the best wishes of our nation with you.

Smudge :eek: (Oh goodness, have I put my foot in it again ?????)