Tim Peake joins first manned all-UK space team

Tim Peake will work to secure commercial funding for the mission

Astronaut Tim Peake has been announced as part of a team that will launch the first all-British crewed mission into space.

The Chichester-born former Army helicopter pilot was named as a strategic adviser for US-based commercial space operator Axiom Space at the Farnborough Air Show on Tuesday.

His roles will include raising business sponsorship for the mission under the support of the UK Space Agency.

Mr Peake said he was "delighted" about his "really exciting new role".

The crew for the mission has not yet been announced.

Tajpaul Bhatia from Axiom Space (left) said he was "extremely excited" that Mr Peake would be joining the team

The UK Space Agency and Axiom Space signed a deal to work together to pursue a commercially sponsored, UK astronaut mission in October 2023.

Mr Peake said the mission was "really important".

"It helps to inspire young people to think about science and tech, and engineering and maths, and think about the kind of career opportunities that are available to them in the space sector," he said.

Annelies Look said manned space missions had some advantages over unmanned missions

Annelies Look, deputy chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: "We are short of people who want to join the space sector.

"We need our next generation to want to come and join, and have a career in space."

As well as attracting more people to the sector, she said manned space missions as opposed to unmanned ones had scientific benefits too.

"[The astronauts] do really high-quality science and research for us on the space station, where they are looking at things that we simply can't do down on Earth," she said.

Mr Peake was the first British European Space Agency astronaut to visit the International Space Station

Tajpaul Bhatia, chief revenue officer of Axiom Space, said he was "extremely excited" that Mr Peake would be joining the team.

He added the mission would have benefits for the industry, science and "the entire world and the industry".

"This mission will have four UK astronauts on it, but it's not just about those four individuals," he said.

"It's about the entire nation."