Inside the head of… Major Tim Peake

When Major Tim Peake, 45, boarded the International Space Station in December 2015, he did so as Britain’s first European Space Agency astronaut, and the second UK astronaut after Helen Sharman. He is married to Rebecca, with whom he has two sons. 

What is your earliest memory? 

Hurtling around in a purple pedal-driven go-kart at about four years old. I loved screaming round corners. Perhaps I should have been a Formula 1 driver. 

What sort of child were you? 

I was very adventurous and curious and loved exploring outdoors. I once climbed out of a friend’s second-storey window, got stranded on a ledge and had to be rescued. I got a proper telling-off for that one. 

Tim Peake: ‘What is my guilty pleasure? If there’s a packet of Kettle Chips open in front of me I’ll finish the lot’

What are you scared of? 

Funnily enough for someone who has orbited the Earth, I don’t like heights. My scariest moment in space was during a space walk. I looked down and that’s when I thought: ‘OK, I can feel the fear now.’ 

What is the worst thing anyone has ever said to you? 

When I was told I hadn’t made the school rugby team. I was crushed by that. 

What is your most treasured possession? 

Until I presented it to the Queen recently, it was the flag I wore on my space suit. After I landed in Kazakhstan in 2016 from my ISS mission, I smuggled the flag in my pocket, had it framed then presented it to the Queen. It was the first Union Flag to be worn in space. 

Who would you like to say sorry to? 

My wife, for all the hardship my career has 

Who would play you in a film of your life? 

Who is that guy with the red hair in Band Of Brothers? Damian Lewis. He’d be good. 

What is your guilty pleasure? 

If there’s a packet of Kettle Chips open in front of me I’ll finish the lot. 

What is the worst job you’ve done? 

I once worked as a barman in a pub and had to come in early in the mornings to clean the toilets. Doing that after a big Friday night was not pleasant. 

If you could go back in time, where would you go? 

The early days of flight, with the Wright Brothers. That period would be fascinating. 

When was the last time you cried? 

I never cry, not even tears of joy. I keep my emotions in check. Maybe I should let it all out, but I haven’t cried for as long as I can remember. Not even once as an adult. 

Last row you had and with whom? 

Probably with my wife and probably for not listening. That’s normally what I get into trouble for. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever had? 

Everybody knows something that you don’t. It doesn’t matter who someone is or where they’re from; find out what that thing is. 

Have you ever cheated death? 

Once I was flying an Apache helicopter at night in terrible conditions and there was a system malfunction and we started plummeting towards some trees. I just remember manually pulling in all the power that the helicopter had and just managing to avoid crashing. It was a very close call. 

Who would be your dream dinner date? 

I would love to have had the chance to talk to Neil Armstrong, but unfortunately I didn’t get to meet him before he passed away. 

What skill should everyone have? 

To be able to cook a decent meal. I think my wife would agree that I do a pretty mean Sunday roast. 

What’s the worst pain you’ve ever experienced? 

My feet thawing out from frostbite after Nordic skiing in temperatures of -20C during an Army exercise. 

Have you ever had a nickname? ‘Ginger’ at school, for obvious reasons, but also Gremlin, as I’ve always had a penchant for practical jokes. 

What song do you want at your funeral? 

Not Space Oddity! Something happy. The song that always makes me feel happy is Mr Blue Sky by ELO. 

‘Ask An Astronaut’ by Tim Peake is published by Century, priced £20  

LAST WORD 

Last film you went to? 

Passengers. It was relatively realistic for a sci-fi film. They embraced the prospect that future space travel will take more than one lifetime. 

Last book you read? 

Andy Weir’s fascinating Artemis, his follow-up to The Martian. 

Last TV show you watched? 

I’ve been watching Chris Hadfield’s Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes? on BBC2 with interest.

 

 



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