On Friday, British astronaut Tim Peake was at Farnborough Air Show to launch Futures Day – an event which aims to inspire youngsters to study science, technology, and mathematics.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be back here at Farnborough 2016,” Major Peake said ahead opening the event.
The astronaut also revealed that he is now feeling in “great physical condition” and trying to readjust to life on Earth.
Peake, the 44-year-old father of two, returned from space last month after spending about six months aboard International Space Station (ISS). NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko also returned to Earth, along with Tim Peake, on Russian Soyuz capsule which landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan.
While speaking at the Farnborough Air Show, Major Peake said it takes time to readjust to life back on Earth, after spending so much time in space. He underwent brain and bone scans during his intensive rehabilitation program. He also had a several blood tests and donated muscle tissue.
He suffered from vertigo for the first three days after he landed in Kazakhstan.
“Once that disappears it’s really a case of the body learning to balance again. That’s what takes the longest, because your body has shut down the vestibular system for the six months in space,” he said.
And then it takes more time to sink in the reality that he is back on Earth now.
“It still seems fairly surreal that less than four weeks ago I was on board the International Space Station traveling at 25 times the speed of sound and looking down on planet Earth,” he said.
Attending his first public event since returning from space, Peake revealed that he has lost “2% of bone density, which is remarkable – to spend six months in space and just come back with that loss.”
The astronaut said he is missing the view of planet Earth from space.
“Of course I miss the view of the planet,” he said. “That never gets boring. Every time you go to the window you see something amazing.”
He said his “best moment” was when American astronaut Tim Kopra opened the hatch door for space walk in January.
“The sunlight flooded in and it was an overwhelming feeling of euphoria,” said Major Peake.
The astronaut also answered many questions of children, who asked him what food he ate in space and whether he was scared when his shuttle re-entered the earth’s atmosphere.
He said his army training at Sandhurst gave him the operational skills needed to operate “complex machinery”.
“I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my military career because it formed me in so many ways right from attending the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst at the age of 19, all the way through to being a qualified test pilot towards the end of my career,” said Major Peake.
Reporters at Farnborough Air Show also asked Tim about his views on Brexit, but he left it to ESA Director-General Jan Woerner to answer trickier questions on Brexit.
In BBC interview, he said the UK’s participation in European Space Agency would not be affected by Brexit referendum, because ESA is a separate entity.
“What we do have to be careful of is science, which will be affected by the EU Referendum,” he said.
You must be logged in to post a comment.