The countdown has begun for Tim Peake’s exciting voyage into space. On 15 December the British astronaut will blast off to the International Space Station, not to return until May 2016. During his time away from Earth he will carry out scientific experiments and be eligible for spacewalks.
But before he embarks on his mission, we got a chance to ask him your students’ questions. The vast variety we received ranged from the sublime (“Why did you want to be an astronaut?”) to the ridiculous (“Can you ride a horse in space?”). Here’s what he said in reply:
What would be the most useful Christmas present you could get in space?
I will be able to answer that on Christmas Day because that’s when I will realise what I miss the most. I hope that everything I need will be in space with me, but there will obviously be a few items I will forget to take. The most useful present would be something that connects me back to planet Earth and my friends and family there – so something that reminds me of Christmas: a cracker, a hat or some food.
Where will you sleep during your mission?
In the space station we have six crew quarters, four of them are in the US Orbital Segment (USOS) and I will be sleeping in there. I will be sleeping in the deck quarter. Of course it doesn’t matter what orientation you sleep in space – there’s no up and down.
Will you sleep for the same number of hours?
Yes, we try and get eight to 11 hours rest every night. It’s important to remain well-rested because we have to follow a very punishing work schedule. You’ve also always got to have some energy left in reserve if there’s an emergency.
How many calories do you consume daily in space?
It depends on the individual, and we try and tailor our diet to suit certain needs, but anywhere from 2,500-3,500 calories. I am not sure what the amount would be for women but I’ve been advised to take in this number. I think calorie intake is slightly higher because we’re working extremely hard up there and even though we’re not in an environment where there’s gravity we’re still moving mass around and our muscles are still being exercised. And to keep in shape we have to exercise for two hours every day, which will expend a lot of energy.
Which planet would you most like to go to and why?
Other than planet Earth – which is my favourite planet in the solar system – I would like to go to Mars. I think it’s fascinating; it’s quite closely related to Earth in being one of the small, rocky planets that probably once had an atmosphere and once had oceans on it. I think the more we can learn about that planet the more interesting it will be.
Why did you want to be an astronaut?
I’ve carried a sense of exploration and adventure with me throughout my life. It was a very natural move to go from being a test pilot to an astronaut. There are lots of similarities between the two jobs in terms of evaluating pieces of equipment. As a test pilot I was evaluating the pure flying qualities of the aircraft or systems – such as lighting systems for a cockpit, or sighting systems, or underslung loads. Space flight is really one huge developmental test programme; everything we have on board is being developed and evaluated. What’s expected on a day-to-day basis is similar to what is expected of a test pilot.
What does food taste like in space?
I am not sure yet but I have heard that your sense of taste becomes a little bit impaired. There are all sorts of theories about that, maybe it’s because of the air circulation. We get a lot of taste from smell and in space your sense of smell is not so strong because there’s no convection in the air. So I’ve heard astronauts like to spice up their food a little bit with tabasco or some other hot sauce.
Could you take a horse into space and, if so, could you ride it?
No reason why you couldn’t. In terms of the payload, we’ve taken bigger things than horses into space. We have pressurised compartments with life support systems that could do it. In terms of riding it, you could strap yourself onto the back of a horse but you’d both be floating in space, obviously.
How will you clean your teeth in space?
Cleaning your teeth is probably one of the easier hygiene operations. You dampen your toothbrush with a little bit of water and then brush your teeth and rather than spitting it out, you just swill out your mouth and swallow it.
Are you nervous about going into space?
I was a test pilot for 18 years and as a test pilot you experience more risks on a day-to-day basis than going into space. Launch and landing are probably the highest risk areas, and yes there will be moments of apprehension, of course. But one of the great things about the training is that it prepares you so well for all eventualities – you almost expect something to happen. I’ve not been in a simulation yet where we haven’t had a catastrophic failure at some level. If I manage to get to the space station without a failure of some kind it will be a first so I think the training prepares you very well.
Do you believe in aliens?
That depends on your definition of aliens. I definitely believe in life on other planets, and I think we might be close to discovering microbial single-cell life forms either currently in existence or evidence of their past existence on Mars, for example. We are always searching for organic compounds and the potential for life on other planets so, yes, I believe in life on other planets – but not in the form of little green men living in our solar system.
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