A Sussex-born Army pilot is set to become Britain’s first official spaceman.
Major Tim Peake, 41, was born in Chichester and served for 18 years in the British Army as a helicopter pilot.
The former Chichester High School for Boys pupil attended the prestigious Sandhurst military academy and gained his wings in 1994 after completing the Army pilots’ course.
After an illustrious career which saw him serve in countries including Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Bosnia, he retired from the Army in 2009.
But he is now preparing for a trip to the stars after beating more than |8,000 other hopeful astronauts to be accepted into the European Space Agency.
He’ll fly on a five-month mission on the International Space Station in 2015 and will be responsible for communication between ground control and his fellow astronauts during space flights.
He is now based at the European Space Agency’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, where he will prepare for his maiden voyage.
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