Astronaut Tim Peake Hopes To Join All-British Crew In International Space Station Mission

Astronaut Tim Peake could soon be blasting off in a return to space, joining an all-UK mission to the International Space Station (ISS), he revealed.

The 52-year-old British space veteran hinted at an upcoming announcement for the mission during an interview for Sky’s FYI children’s news show. The unexpected announcement comes after Peake’s retirement from the ESA last January.

“Possibly, as early as next year, we’re taking four astronauts back [to the ISS] to do lots of science and lots of education outreach,” Peake revealed.

The mission, sponsored commercially and supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), marks a significant milestone as it could be the first all-British crew to visit the ISS.

Peake, the first Briton to perform a spacewalk at the ISS in 2016, expressed his enthusiasm: “We’re hoping to announce the whole crew in June this year.”

Asked whether he’ll be taking part, he replied: “Well, I very much hope so.”