Tim Peake Visits Scottish Spaceflight Company Ahead of UK Launch

British astronaut Major Tim Peake has visited a Scottish spaceflight company as it prepares for its inaugural launch.

Peake visited Orbex, the Forres-based orbital launch services provider, on Wednesday 3rd September to see its Prime rocket up close and meet the engineers behind the micro launch vehicle.

He also took part in a Q&A session with Orbex’s rocket scientists, sharing insights from his own time in space.

The behind-the-scenes tour was a short detour from Peake’s nationwide tour Astronauts: The Quest to Explore Space.

Phil Chambers, CEO of Orbex, said: “It was an honour to host Tim and share the progress we’re making with Prime, which is set to be one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable orbital rockets.

“Tim has inspired a generation to look to space, and welcoming him to Orbex as we enter this new era of sustainable spaceflight is something our team will remember for years to come.”

Tim Peake said: “Orbex is developing cutting-edge technology and building the skills and capability that will help the UK become a major player in global spaceflight.

“Meeting the team behind it all has given me a real sense of the momentum building here, and it’s fantastic to see Scotland at the forefront of this new era of launch.”

The visit follows Orbex’s recent pre-selection for the European Launcher Challenge, a flagship EU programme to accelerate independent launch capacity in Europe.