Commercial spaceflight company Axiom Space announced this week that they have welcomed retired British astronaut Tim Peake into its professional astronaut pool.
In a statement Tuesday (July 23), Axiom said that Peake would join the firm as a strategic adviser specifically tasked of "supporting the development of and strategy behind" a potential all-British human spaceflight mission.
It is understood that Peake would become the commander of the four-member all-UK mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule should it materialize.
Peake previously visited the ISS in December 2015, making him the first British person to do so.
In response, UK Space Agency CEO Dr. Paul Bate was quoted by The Independent saying that Peake was an "incredible ambassador" for the British space sector and that his involvement with Axiom was a "real boost" to its endeavors to fulfilling the dream of an all-British space mission.
Peake to Promote UK's Spaceshot Post-Brexit
Axiom's chief astronaut and NASA veteran Michael Lopez-Alegria said that he was "thrilled" to have Peake on board, and that his experience as a former European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut would be "invaluable" to the firm as he was expected to be the liaison between Axiom and the UK Space Agency, which needed to be revitalized since Brexit.
In 2023, Axiom and the UK Space Agency signed a memorandum of understanding that would explore the feasibility of a British-crewed commercial mission. On the other hand, the agency said that up to £15 million ($19.35 million) could be earmarked for British science and technology efforts to fly to space.
Meanwhile, Space News reported British science secretary Peter Kyle announcing a £33 million ($42.56 million) fund that would be dedicated to over 20 national space projects.
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