PARIS, May 20 (Xinhua ) --
The European Space Agency (ESA)
announced Monday that astronaut Timothy
Peake has been proposed to fly
to the International Space Station for
a six-month mission in
2015.
"Today I am very happy
to announce the assignment of Timothy
Peake for a mission to the
International Space Station," said
Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's Director
General.
Peake was assigned to
join a crew of Expedition 46/47 for
a mission of six months in 2015.
He will be the first British
citizen to live and work on the
space station and it will be
the eighth long-duration mission for
an ESA astronaut.
Peake was
former helicopter test pilot and Major
in the British Army. In 2009, he
was appointed as a British ambassador
for science and space-based careers.
He has worked with the British
Space Agency in developing the
country's microgravity research
program.
Since joining the
European Astronaut Corps in 2009, Peake
has received all kinds of necessary
astronaut training to work on the
space station, including a course of
NASA's Extreme Environment Mission
Operations, a testbed for space
exploration technologies.
"I am
delighted to be proposed for a
long-duration mission to the International
Space Station. This is another
important mission for Europe and in
particular a wonderful opportunity for
European science, industry and education
to benefit from microgravity research,"
said Peake.
According to ESA,
Peake's classmate ESA astronaut Luca
Parmitano is preparing for launch to
the orbital outpost on May 28.
Peake's mission will follow those
of ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst and
Samantha Cristoforetti, both scheduled for
launch in 2014.
ESA said a
series of mission training awaits
Peakes who will start from his
homebase at the European Astronaut
Center in Cologne, Germany to
NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston, the United States, Star City,
near Moscow, Russia, as well as
Japan and Canada.
Director
General Dordain noted that ESA
recruited six astronauts in 2009 and
will fulfil its commitment to fly
all six newly selected astronauts
before the end of 2017.
Founded
in 1975, ESA is Europe's gateway
to space. The group has 20 member
states. It develops the launchers,
spacecraft and ground facilities needed
to keep Europe at the forefront
of global space activities.
So
far, it launches satellites for Earth
observation, navigation, telecommunications and
astronomy, sends probes to the far
reaches of the Solar System and
cooperates in the human exploration of
space.
（Editor：LiangJun、Zhang
Qian）
