Tim Peake joined us to launch Mission Transmission – a radio show made by You into space. You can listen to the broadcast here.

Tim Peake is a British astronaut and former Army Air Corps officer who became the first British citizen to visit the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016. He was the first British astronaut to visit the ISS since Helen Sharman in 1991. During his six-month mission, he took part in a range of scientific experiments, ran the London Marathon on a treadmill and took some incredible photos of Earth from space. Here are 10 facts about Tim Peake.

1. Tim Peake is a British astronaut

He spent six months living and working on the International Space Station between 2015 and 2016.

2. He beat 8,000 applicants to become an astronaut

In 2008, Tim applied to be an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) who are one of the groups who built the International Space Station. 8,000 people applied but Tim was chosen as one of six applicants to get a place as an astronaut!

3. He practiced to go into space by going underwater

To practice for being in zero gravity wearing a space suit, Tim Peake wore his space suit underwater.

He also spent a week in an underground cave in Sardinia and 12 days in an underwater laboratory.

4. He was the first British astronaut to board the International Space Station.

The International Space Station is the biggest object ever flown in space and is almost the size of a football pitch.

It travels around the Earth at an average speed of 27,700 km per hour. It only takes the International Space Station 92 minutes to complete a full orbit of Earth. This means that astronauts on the International Space Station can see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day.

 5. Tim also became the first British astronaut to do a spacewalk.

On 15 January, he and Tim Kopra ventured outside the ISS for four hours, making repairs.

6. Tim Peake called his family from the International Space Station but dialled the wrong number

A lady called Betty picked up the phone and hung up because she thought someone was playing tricks when Tim asked ‘Hello, is that planet Earth?’

7. Tim ran the equivalent of the London Marathon on a treadmill on the ISS, on the same day the race took place on Earth.

He set the world record for the fastest marathon in space (3 hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds).

8. Tim received an award from the Queen for his services to space research and scientific education. 

Whilst he was in space he inspired lots of people to find out more about space through his communication back to Earth while he was at the International Space Station.

9. Tim’s best advice – “Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do anything.”

‘Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do anything’ – words we live by at Fun Kids.

10. He’s helped us send YOUR voices into space as part of Mission Transmission

That’s right! Tim Peake, a real life astronaut, joined us when we sent our radio show into space from The Royal Observatory.

Find out more about Mission Transmission here.

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