British Astronaut Tim Peake Meets Students from His Two Former Schools at Chichester

On Saturday, British astronaut Tim Peake was at his hometown in Chichester and surprised school children from his two former schools during a special appearance at the Novium Museum in Chichester.

Most students from Westbourne Primary had no idea they are going to meet Maj Peake until the staff at the museum announced it.

At the museum, which is hosting an exhibition based on Major Peake’s space mission, the astronaut met students from Westbourne Primary and Chichester High School for Boys.

A Question and Answers session was also organized for the students.

“It’s wonderful to come back here to Chichester, my home city, to meet some of the schoolchildren from both Westbourne Primary School and Chichester High School, where I went to, and be able to talk to them about my Principia mission and answer their questions, so a very special day for me,” Tim said.

Children asked him several questions including his favorite button to press on space station, his scariest and funniest moments, and how astronauts go the toilet in a spacesuit.

Major Peake revealed his was wearing a nappy during his spacewalk.

“You can’t possibly not go to the loo in 12 hours and you have to stay hydrated, hence you have to wear a nappy,” he added.

Meanwhile, pupils at The Grange Junior School have also joined the European Space Agency backed Tim Peake Primary Project.

The school has been visited by Sue Andrews, a space ambassador from ESERO-UK, the European Space Education Resource Office for the UK.

Andrews inspired the students of Year 5 classes as they played the roles of space scientists searching for signs of life on the Red Planet.

The children were shown an animation of the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars. Then they were given the task of scientifically examine three soil samples to decide which one appears like Martian soil. The students closely observed the color and texture of the samples, tested soil acidity, and recorded the filtration rate of water through the soils.

On Thursday, the UK government revealed that Tim Peake will make his second space flight and to return to ISS to conduct more research. The announcement was made at London’s Science Museum, where visitors will now be able to see the capsule which carried Peake on 186-day ‘Principia’ mission to ISS.

During his first stay in space, Tim Peake had participated in London Marathon from Space. The 26.2 mile Digital Virgin Money London Marathon was organized on Sunday 24 April, and Tim also started his race at 10:00 GMT, much like thousands of other participants. During the race, Tim had a digital video of entire course in front of him, and his ipad was telling how fast the astronaut was moving. Tim also used a harness system to strap himself down to the treadmill.