When I log into Zoom a few minutes early for my interview with Tim Peake, Britain’s favourite astronaut is already here. He’s serene and cheerful, with a kind, patient face. “Hello!” he greets me. “How are you?” I’m reminded of a scene in The Crown where Prince Philip meets Neil Armstrong and turns up his nose at his perceived lack of gravitas. Of course, it is simply because the Duke of Edinburgh is unable to recognise the very quality Armstrong possesses and he doesn’t: humility.
After a career in the Army Air Corps, Peake beat more than 8,000 applicants to join the European Space Agency’s new astronaut training programme in 2009. “The most important skills for an astronaut to have are adaptability, flexibility and resilience,” he says today.
