Tim Peake running the London Marathon in space
Tim made history in 2015 as the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) – spending six months in space, completing a spacewalk, even running a marathon.
His tour – Astronauts: The Quest To Explore Space – celebrates the work of astronauts and human spaceflight and gives a fascinating insight into what lies ahead. “It’s like the greatest hits of space exploration, with amazing footage and behind the scenes stories of what it’s really like to leave our planet,” says Tim.
Tim’s show celebrates the work of astronauts
Tim’s debut tour, My Journey To Space in 2021-2023, shared his personal story of space flight. Now he’s looking back on the wider history of space exploration – with the shows featuring new content following this year’s Artemis II flight.
“It showcases the extraordinary endeavour of human spaceflight; the excitement, drama, the highs and lows, from the early days of the 1950s to the Artemis program to return to the Moon, and beyond to the first human mission to Mars,” says Tim. “I love going on tour because I can interact with people from a variety of backgrounds. I do a lot of talks but they’re often with people linked to the space sector. The is a chance to meet the wider public. It still surprises me how interested people are in my story. I have to remind myself that going to space is still something that is very hard to do. Only 600 people have reached Earth’s orbit, and fewer than half have done a spacewalk. The fact that I’m one of them will never not be incredibly special to me.”
Taking his first breath of fresh air after his Principia space mission in 2016
While the tour reflects on space stories from the past, Tim also focusses on future exploration. He’s been closely linked with the Axiom Space and UK Space Agency project, supporting the US-based company’s ambitions for an all-UK mission as part of its work in building a commercial space station as a replacement for the ISS.
“Axiom’s work is hugely exciting with so many potential benefits for the UK,” says Tim. “Absolutely I would love to go back to space if the chance came up; I don’t know of any astronaut who wouldn’t want another mission to space.”
Tim Peak waves from his space walk. His tour – Astronauts: The Quest To Explore Space – comes to Bradford this autumn
The Axiom Space mission would be a commercially-sponsored space flight which Tim hopes will lead to further commercial partnerships and space sponsorship. “Space touches our lives in many ways, from climate monitoring, navigation and communications to financial transactions, agriculture, disaster response,” he says. “Most companies are reliant on some form of space-based technology today and there is huge scope for private investment. It’s new territory, but we hope to make it work.”
Having recently marked the 10th anniversary of his own return from space, he’s excited about what’s next. “So much has happened, there is so much to be proud of in our UK space sector. We have companies doing cutting-edge work and driving forward what is possible. We now have three UK astronauts, Rosemary Coogan, Meganne Christian and John McFill all available for missions. When I joined ESA in 2009, the UK didn’t even contribute to the human space programme – now I get to guide them through this incredible experience.”
Having retired from the ESA in 2023, Tim is enjoying new challenges. “I had a dramatic career change before when I went from being a test pilot to astronaut training and it’s been a similar shift in focus,” he says. “I’m an ambassador for The King’s Trust, Scouts, STEM Learning, Great Ormond Street Hospital and King Charles’ Astra Carta initiative, looking at how we can use space sustainably and responsibly.
“I’ve enjoyed writing books, presented a documentary on the Secrets of Our Universe and co-hosted the 13-Minutes podcast for the BBC covering the Artemis 2 mission, as four astronauts went on an epic 10-day journey round the Moon.
“As an astronaut, you don’t ever retire. I’ve been to events like the STARMUS Festival, where I had the privilege to meet several of the Apollo astronauts, from Charlie Duke to Buzz Aldrin. They’re still out there promoting science, space and exploration and I hope I’ll do the same for years to come.”
While a moonwalk is on the cards for the Artemis 4 crew as early as 2028, and work is ongoing towards a crewed mission to Mars, Tim says some work will have an impact closer to home in coming years. “We have occupied the ISS for nearly 25 years now – it’s essentially a giant science lab,” he says, about research taking place in orbit. “There are components in modern mobile phones which were first tested on the ISS. But we’re getting more specialist in the science there now. There is more targeted pharmaceutical research as companies realise the potential available. For example, growing protein crystals in space for motor neurone and Parkinson’s diseases could lead to much better treatments.
“We’re at the stage where space can become a manufacturing hub for all sorts of things, to be brought back to Earth. There are things you can build in space which can’t be built on Earth. There are attempts to grow human tissue and organs on Earth, using bio ink and 3D printers. The problem is that small structures need some sort of scaffolding because gravity causes them to collapse. In space you can 3D print human organs because there’s no gravity. It sounds like the wildest science fiction, but it really is science fact and it’s where we are at right now. Five to 10 years we could be printing full-size human organs in space that could be a feasible transplant option. That’s when space research starts to mean something very real for people on Earth.”
Some of the scientists and engineers coming through now were kids inspired by Tim’s Principia mission. “The legacy I’m most proud of is the inspiration for future generations,” he says. “When I go to schools and colleges, students say, ‘I remember watching you launch and you inspired me to follow these subjects’. It’s a huge privilege to have a platform to inspire people. Space is a place where we can all wonder and dream.”
* Tim Peake – Astronauts: The Quest To Explore Space is at St George’s Hall on September 26. Call (01274) 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk