Tim Peake: My Journey to Space

Brighton Dome, November 14

TIM Peake is a normal man with an abnormal life.

From humble beginnings in Westbourne, near Chichester, Tim knew he wanted to be in the air – whether it be as part of the military, a test pilot or an astronaut.

A sell-out crowd of all ages – including plenty of children wearing Nasa t-shirts – strapped in for a chronological journey through his early life, training and his 185 days, 22 hours and 11 minutes in space.

From running a marathon to a near death experience, Tim spoke passionately about all aspects of his time at the International Space Station.

Entering the stage to the deafening sound of a rocket lift-off, many made quick use of the complimentary ear plugs.

“I get asked a lot, ‘how did a little ginger kid from West Sussex end up in space?’,” he said.

Speaking about the application process, Tim revealed he beat more than 8,000 applicants for one of the six places on the European Space Agency's astronaut training programme.

While the selection process included academic tests, fitness assessments and interviews, he encouraged aspiring astronauts in the audience to follow their dreams no matter their background – even admitting to getting a D in A-Level maths.

Tim, a natural public speaker, also revealed the three songs he was allowed to play during the 2015 launch - Queen's Don't Stop Me Now, U2's Beautiful Day and Coldplay's A Sky Full of Stars.

The Brighton Dome also added to the occasion before and after the show by playing exclusively space-related music – a nice touch.

Discussing his spacewalk, in which he became the first British astronaut to walk outside the space station, he spoke about how a colleague almost drowned inside their spacesuit after a water-cooling system leaked into the ventilation system.

The dramatic tale was followed up with incredible behind-the-scenes footage of the crew enjoying their luxury food items – which for Tim was a bacon sandwich – and his London Marathon heroics.

Prince’s Trust ambassador Tim ran the marathon from space to raise awareness of the charity and completed it in three hours and 35 minutes.

To combat weightlessness, he wore a harness that tethered him to the treadmill as he ran, while watching a video of the course.

An astronomy fan or not, it was impossible not to be captivated by Tim from lift-off to landing.

Tim Peake: My Journey to Space was quite literally out of this world.