First Briton in Space
 

I'm going to blow a gasket if I hear, read or watch another news story of Major (Rtd) Tim Peake announcing him as the 'First Briton in Space'.

NO HE IS NOT!!!

Ms Helen Sharman OBE was the first Brit in space in 1991 (yes, 24 years ago!) travelling on the same sort of rocket as Tim to a space station - although her's was MIR. Also, Michael Foale CBE was technically the second as a dual UK/US national who flew no less than 6 Space Shuttle missions between 1992 and 2004.

So technically Tim Peake's flight tomorrow is the 8th Brit to go to space - certainly not the first as the media would have us believe. All the more remarkable is that our first astronaut was a woman and that is a fact to be celebrated and not ignored - given that it was only 63 years after we, as men, allowed women the same rights to vote as us (which is another shameful act of convenient forgetfulness that we have).

Anyway, good luck to Maj (Rtd) Peake tomorrow, and if you're reading this and you work in the media - he is not the first!!!!

LJ

http://www.normanfield.com/diary61_files/image012.jpg

I'm glad it's not just me then. I've been yelling at the TV every time a commentator comes out with this mis-information.

Doesn't that make him the third Brit in space?
He's certainly the first ESA Brit in space, if we want to be precise, and the first to fly to the ISS.
Godspeed, Tim Peake.

Sorry, "first to ISS"...

NO HE IS NOT!!!

Michael Foale CBE was commander of the ISS and did 6 months on it from 2003 and 2004.

Why can't we just celebrate the fact that it's great for kids to see a Brit go to space (again) and leave it at that?

LJ

The Telegraph is listing Tim Peake to be the 8th Briton in space. However, 2 of the 7 before him on their list are actually Americans who happened to be born in the UK (Greg Johnson and Richard Garriott). Michael Foale, Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick all flew for NASA as US citizens, although they appear to hold dual nationality. Michael Shuttleworth (dual UK/South African) paid for his own trip as space tourist. Arguably, Helen Sharman is in a similar category as she was funded by industry for a one-off project, essentially for the sole purpose of putting the first Briton in space.

Tim Peake is a 100% British astronaut flying on behalf of a space agency as a full crew member on a science mission.

Good luck Tim!

2nd in space
 

I worked with the second Belge in space, TinTin being the first.
That was a long time ago.
Why did the Brits take so long ?

Wouldn't that make Capt Haddock, Thompson & Thompson the first, second & third British astronauts, so Tim Peake would be the 11th? Not certain as to the nationality of Prof Calculus either.*



* he was Swiss so Tim's 11th place is safe.

Brain Potter

He still is not the first Briton in space...

We can jazz it up however we like. That was Helen Sharman and no-one can take that away from her. Tim Peake is at best 'runner up' and if we include the others he wouldn't even make the podium...

...it's still a great achievement, but I think to constantly ignore Ms Sharman's achievement is poor form. Not forgetting she beat a Royal Navy physician, an Army Air Corps pilot and a University Lecturer in the final selection process. It was something she was selected for from over 13,000 applicants - probably similar to Tim Peake's selection process to get to where he is on the verge of doing. If the Army Air Corps pilot (who sadly died last year) had gone into space in 1991 I suspect we would not be making such a 'song and dance' about tomorrow's launch, which, really should be a bit of a non-event. I wonder who is pushing it so hard? The BBC seem obsessed!

LJ

British Astronauts before Tim Peake
 

Here we go. A history lesson:

Dr Anthony Llewellyn - born Cardiff - NASA Astronaut 1967 - never flew

Cdr Pete Longhurst RN, Lt Col Anthony Boyle, Lt Col Richard Farrimond, Sqn Ldr Nigel Wood RAF and MoD Civil Servant Chris Holmes trained to be astronauts for the Space Shuttle to launch SkyNet4. The Challenger disaster stopped the plan and Wood was pencilled in to be first Briton in space. All cancelled by 1987.

Helen Sharman (born and bred in Sheffield to British parents) beat Maj Tim Mace (and 13,000 others) into becoming the first British Astronaut. She flew on a Soyuz similar to Tim Peake's on 18 May 1991 - 24 years ago!!!

Michael Foale (born in Louth to a UK father and US mother) flew to space 6 times on Space Shuttle and Soyuz from 1992 to 2004. He stayed on Mir and ISS and was the first Brit to spacewalk. He has over 374 days in space which is well over that planned for Tim Peak and Her Majesty presented this dual national with a CBE.

Mark Shuttleworth (born South Africa but dual UK/SA national) flew on a Soyuz in 2002.

Piers Sellers (born Crowborough, Sussex) flew 3 Space Shuttle missions from 2002 to 2010. Schooled in Kent, went to University in Kent, gained a PhD at Leeds and flew in the Air Cadets and UAS. He was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty in 2012 for services to science.

Nicholas Patrick (born Saltburn by the Sea, N Yorks) his mother was Scottish and he took US citizenship at the age of 30 to join NASA. He was a pilot in the Cambridge UAS where he learned to fly. He schooled at Harrow and Cambridge. Nicholas Patrick flew the Space Shuttle twice in 2006 and 2010.

Richard Garriot (born Cambridge to US parents) flew the Soyuz in 2008 to the ISS.

So there you go - Tim Peake is following a long line of people before him...and to be technically correct the first retired HMForces Serviceman to fly in space was technically RAF. :ok:

LJ

If NASA awards astronaut wings for being 50 miles up, does that change the perspective at all.. any Brit before Helen Sharman?

John Llewellyn (born Cardiff) was the very first British astronaut - I think they were awarded the title 'astronaut' at an earlier stage back then. He died a couple of years ago, aged 80. John had issues with handling a jet and so left the programme before going aloft - although the reason for his departure from the programme wasn't divulged at the time (piloting the craft was never going to be his primary role anyway).

Astronaut Bio: John Anthony Llewellyn

Mate had a canary when I started talking about IS Station in space............

When I was Exeter Uni we used to got a pub in Lympstone once a week to quiz night. One night the landlord announced that if we went outside we should be able to see Mir passing over. We all trooped outside and at the appointed hour sure enough it was clearly visible. We all raised a glass to Helen Sharman and went back inside to win the pub quiz (as usual).

Good luck Major Tom :ok:

(Sorry, Major Tim :O)

I wish him and the rest of his crew a safe journey and sincerely hope everything goes to plan.

Unlike some......

Many thanks Leon for putting the record straight for us ... :ok:

Perhaps we should also mention Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) who is an English actress. She is to appear in the lead role of 'Rey' in the new film Star Wars: 'The Force Awakens'.

... May the Force Be With You Leon ;)

Coff

Thank you manys, that for... (In my worst Yoda voice)...

LJ :ok:

Sorry, I mis-read the title.
I thought it was about "First Brit LOST in space", and good 'ole Gordon Brown came to mind. :E

Yes, I know where the exit is.
Hat, coat...

Who could forget our first astronaut, picked for her coordination and control.....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICnszA8N0BQ

Leon,

You'll be pleased that Brian Cox got it right when he signed off from this morning's live BBC TV coverage of the launch, mentioning the BBC 2 programme at 7pm.

"We'll be joined tonight by the first Briton in space, Helen Sharman"

Yes, Helen Sharman was the first British cosmonaut/astronaut (flew in late 80's). I was working at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre at that time and we all were surprised that she was selected and not Tim Mace who was a military pilot and a champion in parachut sport. (British) Politics were behind that decision.
Cosmonaut Biography: Timothy Mace
Both were very nice people. Tim, R.I.P.

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?

"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 ?????)