Ground Control to Major Tim
|Published
He is the first astronaut to fly on an official British space mission. So one of the first things he’s looking forward to in orbit is... making a nice cup of tea.
The problem for Major Tim Peake, however, is how to manage it in zero gravity on the International Space Station 220 miles above Earth.
Luckily the father of two will be packing his space-mug, a vessel designed to prevent his scalding brew floating away.
The tea is first brewed in a vacuum-packed container before being squirted into the cup. A narrow crease along one side of the plastic device causes high surface tension that stops the liquid escaping. Natural forces known as capillary action then force the drink upwards along the channel towards the teardrop-shaped opening, where it can be sucked out – rather than using a straw.
Major Peake said it would be the most important gadget when he blasts off on his five-month trip to the International Space Station tomorrow. ‘If I’m going to be up there five months, it’s important to get these things right,’ the 43-year-old father of two told Focus magazine. ‘You have to use creamer instead of milk, but in space anything that reminds you of home is beneficial.’
He added: ‘I’m looking forward to enjoying a cup of tea normally, rather than having to suck it through a straw.’ The Chichester-born astronaut will blast off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11.03am on board a 162-ft Soyuz FG rocket. During his time aboard the space station, he will carry out 265 experiments and in April he will run an entire 26.2-mile marathon on a treadmill aboard the space station.
Major Peake, who learnt Russian for the flight, will be the first professional astronaut on an official British mission. The former Army helicopter pilot is employed by the European Space Agency and sports a Union Jack on his sleeve. The first Briton in space was Helen Sharman, from Sheffield, who visited the Mir space station in 1991 under a private joint programme between Russia and a consortium of British companies. Other Britons in space have flown with US space agency Nasa or been on privately funded or sponsored trips.
Major Peake’s father Nigel yesterday spoke of his pride, adding: ‘As you can imagine, it’s quite surreal to think you’re the father of an astronaut, especially a British astronaut. So we’re very, very proud, and just a little bit over-awed.’
© Daily Mail