Major Tim Peake: it's a 'huge privilege', says first Briton in space for 20 years

The first British astronaut to travel into space for more than 20 years today said it would be a “huge privilege” - but admitted he was worried about spending so much time apart from his family.

Major Tim Peake will be blasted into space on a six-month tour carrying out scientific experiments including a possible walk in space.

The former Army helicopter pilot will become the country’s first official spaceman because previous British astronauts have either secured private funding or have taken out American citizenship to make it into orbit.

Details of Major Peake’s mission to the International Space Station were released today by the European Space Agency. Prime Minister David Cameron today hailed it as a “momentous day” for the country.

Major Peake beat more than 8,000 other hopefuls to be selected for the European Space Agency in 2009 along with five other colleagues from across Europe.

The 41-year-old, who will travel on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in November 2015, said: “I am absolutely delighted to be chosen, it really is an honour to be selected.”

Speaking at a press conference at the Science Museum in London today, Major Peake, who will be tweeting from space, said: “It is a huge privilege to be able to fly to space. I look forward to the challenges ahead and I shall be doing my utmost to maximise this opportunity for European science, industry and education to benefit from this mission.”

Since being selected for the space mission, the married father of two, born in Chichester, West Sussex, has undergone a rigorous 14-month training programme that has included, living underwater for 12 days in Florida, visits to Nasa’s astronaut base in Houston, the Russian astronaut training centre in Star City outside Moscow and Tsukuba Space Centre in Japan, and a two week survival course in Sardinia.

As part of his training, he is also learning to speak Russian and anticipates a move to Houston.

He said the hardest part of his training so far is coming to terms with leaving behind his wife and two sons, aged four and 18 months.

“Over the next three years I will spend a lot of time away from my family,” he said. “Over those six months in space, I will be in no position to provide them with any help or support, that is my greatest apprehension.”

Major Peake, who served for 18 years in the British Army including terms in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, will take part in complex scientific research and experiments in the Columbus laboratory module, which is attached to the front of the 400-ton space station.

He said he will be allowed to take a “shoebox” full of personal belongings, and will be carefully choosing a music playlist as part of his preparation.