Posted June 5, 2009 12:12 PM
By David Todd
ESA Selects British Astronaut - But is it a Cunning Plan to get UK Funding?
The European Space Agency (ESA) has named a 37-year-old ex-British Army Apache helicopter gunship pilot as one of its six new recruits to its astronaut training programme. Major Timothy Peake now works for Augusta Wesltand after serving in the Army Air Corps as a test pilot. His appointment was announced after a selection competition. Major Peake was one of six astronauts selected. The others were Italian Samantha Cristoforetti, German Alexander Gerst, Dane Andreas Mogensen, Italian Luca Parmitano and Frenchman Thomas Pesquet.