Pupils meet astronaut in 'awesome' encounter

Cdr Jack Hathaway met students at Holywell School in Cranfield, Bedfordshire

A Nasa astronaut has given a talk to children near his near his former university, describing it as an "incredible experience".

Cdr Jack Hathaway, a past student of Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, began working for the US space agency in 2022 but is still waiting for his first mission.

During a visit to the UK, he gave a talk to about 180 Year 5 pupils at nearby Holywell School.

Blake, nine, said it was "absolutely awesome" to meet an astronaut and he would "never wash this hand again" after shaking Cdr Hathaway's hand.

Blake was one of a small number of students to come up with a winning design in a competition to draw a space camp

He said he wanted to be an astronaut himself and had "ten billion" designs at home of space rockets he had drawn.

"It would be awesome to explore a land that has never been explored before" and "create civilisations there", he added.

Cdr Hathaway has more than 2,500 hours' flying experience as a pilot with the US Navy and studied for a Master of Science degree in flight dynamics at Cranfield in 2014.

He said he had a "really great experience" that was "critical" for his future career".

He has now completed two years of initial astronaut training and said he felt "pretty close" to a space mission and "confident" he would get the opportunity.

Year 5 students have been studying space as part of their science lessons

Cdr Hathaway gave a talk for pupils aged nine and 10 in a special assembly.

He then met a small group of students who had won a competition to design a space camp.

Head teacher Mike Simpson said it was an "amazing opportunity" and that meeting a "real, live" astronaut had inspired the students.

Before joining Nasa, Commander Hathaway had flown 30 types of aircraft and taken part in 39 combat missions as a US Navy pilot

Cdr Hathaway has been given a distinguished aerospace alumni award by his former university.

Prof Mark Westwood, head of centre for aeronautics, said it was "incredible to see the achievements that people go on to do".