Tim Peake

In 2008, Tim Peake answered an advert from the European Space Agency looking for astronauts. Six years later he became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station and carry out a spacewalk.

But Tim didn't always want to be an astronaut. As a child, he fell in love with flying and pursued a career in aviation. He progressed from the school Cadet Corps to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and then into the Army Air Corps. By the time Tim retired from the British Army as a major, he was regarded as a highly talented, hugely professional pilot. Just the kind of person the European Space Agency was looking for.

After his six-month space mission, Tim returned to the UK to work and engage students in STEM. This year, he became the European Space Agency's first honorary STEM ambassador. He has also written several best-selling books and hosted a TV series about space.

Tim Peake’s latest book Space: The Human Story is out now published by Penguin. For more info visit: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/239553/tim-peake