It takes the "right stuff" to withstand cosmic bursts of camera light and meteoric bombardments of questions, but Tim Peake is orbit-ready and passed the test of facing the massed media on Monday morning. As Britain's first official, government-backed astronaut, his selection for a mission in late 2015 marks a pivotal moment. Countries as far afield as Belgium, Mexico and Vietnam have already had people in space, but so far the only Brits to make it have either had to change nationality (and become American) or win a Russian competition (as in the case of Helen Sharman in 1991).

For decades, British governments regarded astronauts as a rather strange and pointless luxury - the weightless floating about irrelevant to life on the ground and the costs far too extravagant to contemplate. This attitude was memorably summed up by Kenneth Clarke in the last Conservative government in the 1980s. When asked if Britain would contribute to the European Space Agency's role in the International Space Station, he replied that he didn't want to pay to put a Frenchman in space.

Since then, quietly and modestly, British space labs and companies have grown to become market leaders in key technologies and their business is valued at £9bn a year. The sensors that bring you those amazing pictures of the Sun, the rocket motors steering spacecraft, the harpoons that may help clear up space junk - many are designed and built in Britain. There are hopes that the space sector will grow - eventually to support as many as 100,000 jobs - and the figurehead of this renewed British effort in space is a former helicopter pilot from Chichester.

Science Minister David Willetts regards the £16m to secure Tim Peake's ticket as money well spent.

While NASA wraps its astronauts in the rhetoric of fabled explorers - lots of "celestial destiny" and "bold endeavour" - the British take is far more mundane: the press release announcing Tim Peake's mission is mainly about British industry and jobs.

So when he dons his spacesuit, and checks the Union Flag's in place, there'll be a lot riding on his multi-layered shoulders.

I first met him when he was picked for the European Space Agency's astronaut corps back in 2009 - the start of a long road to orbit - and he appeared exactly how you expect astronauts to look: calm, measured, ready for anything.

He's got the straight spine of a military man and the sharp gaze that NSA selectors have always favoured, and he turns his head in even, steady moves, not unlike those chisel-jawed heroes of Thunderbirds.

On Monday morning, after his news conference, his cheeks were flushed in a way that reminded me of Prince Harry, and his manner has the same relaxed air.

"I'm clearly delighted with the decision. It's a true privilege to be assigned to a long-duration space mission," he told me.

I asked about the much-pushed angle that his mission is partly about trying to boost economic growth.

"There's also the inspiration part - the true human exploration in terms of what we are doing.

"We are pushing the boundaries every time an astronaut goes up; we learn new things about ourselves, about our bodies."

Then the really big questions: yes, he does play the guitar, not well, but did actually once play with the legendary Chris Hadfield, the most musically famous astronaut of them all.

Via Twitter, I was asked if Tim Peake would introduce his fellow astronauts to the delights of a Full English Breakfast.

"I get to choose some of the European food that comes up with me, so a Full English breakfast might be top of the list."

So in November 2015, at the desert launch complex at Baikonur that saw Yuri Gargarin blaze a trail into orbit, Tim Peake will climb into the top of a Soyuz rocket.

The countdown will be in Russian. Tim Peake's training will make him comfortable with the language. And then the first jolt of launch will kick in.

Down below him, a blast of flame will send a wall of heat across the scrubby dunes towards the viewing stands and camera positions: this will make compulsive viewing in homes and schools across Britain.

Tim Peake will be given a vigorous shaking - "a moment nothing can prepare you for", he told me - as the rocket motors accelerate him into space, and a place in the history books.

The UK’s recent decision to subscribe to the European Space Agency’s ELIPS (European Life and Physical Sciences) programme has opened the way for UK-based researchers to participate in this unique, cross-disciplinary programme, making use of a diverse range of facilities including centrifuges, parabolic flights and bedrest facilities. This meeting will examine the bedrest facilities: how they are managed, how ESA defines Announcements of Opportunity and selects experiments, and how UK researchers might get involved.

 Why Ageing

BBSRC invests in biological research on the normal ageing process, from molecular to whole organism studies and how this will help to inform a healthier old age for people. Research on the biology of ageing has been identified by BBSRC as one of the key areas of research which might benefit from the ELIPS programme. As a result of detailed discussions at a workshop in September 2012, it was agreed that bedrest studies in particular could be an important tool for addressing questions related to health and wellbeing in an ageing population.

BBSRC will invest up to £3M to support UK researchers participating in ELIPS for research on ageing*, and are working closely with the UK Space Agency to coordinate this. 

Outline Programme

To Register 

It is strongly recommended that researchers who may wish to apply for support from BBSRC for research on ageing conducted via the ELIPS programme attend this workshop.  Not only will this represent an invaluable opportunity to hear about ESA and BBSRC’s review procedures (and how they will be streamlined) but an excellent forum for networking with like-minded researchers.

 Please email andrew.kuh@ukspaceagency.bis.gsi.gov.uk to register your interest.

 *Please note that the UK component of applications submitted to ELIPS calls must fall within the remit of BBSRC and that UK applicants must be eligible for BBSRC research funding. Full details of eligibility conditions can be found in the BBSRC Grants Guide

Attendance at this one-day meeting is free, and open to all. Courtesy of UK Space Agency, coffee, tea and lunch is provided for attendees. We encourage academics, research fellows, postdocs and PhD students to attend, alongside stakeholders and industrial participants. Please register your intent to attend at the following website Here before Thursday 28th March 2013 (i.e. the day before Good Friday). Registration after this date, and up to the meeting itself is possible, but will be provided on first-come first-served basis. 70 places are available. We look forward to seeing you on April 9th.

http://physics.open.ac.uk/Astrobiology-Dust/ 

 

University of Edinburgh, April 17-19, 2013

REGISTRATION AND ABSTRACT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28^th 2013

For registration details click here

To understand the origin of life, how life has persisted on the Earth for over 3.5 billion years and whether we might find it elsewhere, requires that we understand how life and molecules  adapt to extreme environments. The 5^th UK astrobiology conference, supported by the UK Space Agency, will explore molecules and life in extremes and the implications for the search for extraterrestrial life.

The conference welcomes astronomers, biologists, chemists, physicists and other disciplines that intersect with astrobiology.

The conference marks the 10^th anniversary since the founding of the Astrobiology Society of Britain.

Sessions will include: Mars science and exploration, astrobiology outreach, icy bodies research, life in extreme environments, molecules in extreme environments. 

 Invited speakers include: 

·         Lynn Rothschild (NASA Ames, USA): Synthetic Biology in Space 

·         Frances Westall (CNRS, France): The Search for Life on Mars: Lessons from the early Earth  

·         Andrew Spry (JPL, USA): Planetary Protection 

·         Lorna Dougan (Leeds, UK): Single molecules under extremes 

·         David Holmes (Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Chile): Iron bioegeochemistry in acid environments 

·         Gerda Horneck (DLR, Germany): Astrobiology in Earth Orbit 

Social events will include a Ceilidh, whisky tasting and a conference dinner, giving delegates a true taste of Scotland.

“The total volume of funding is quite significant: 2.1 trillion rubles, including extrabudgetary sources,” he said.

The program is designed to ensure the country retains its position as a leading global space power, while also supporting its defense capability, and boosting economic and social development, Medvedev said.

“The program will enable our country to effectively participate in forward-looking projects, such the ISS [International Space Station], the study of the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies in the solar system,” he said.

Dmitry Paison, director for development at the Skolkovo space cluster, told RIA Novosti that the program provides the framework for other space-related programs.

“It comprises the Federal Space Program, the Federal Special Program for the Development of the Glonass System, the program for the development of space launch centers and the non-classified part of the program for the technical modernization of the industry,” he said.

The 61st International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine (ICASM 2013) will take place in Jerusalem, Israel from 6-10 October, 2013.

The ICASM 2013 Congress will bring together professionals from the fields of Aero Dentistry, Aerospace, Aerospace Medicine, Aviation and Environmental Physiology, Aviation Psychology, Civil Aviation, Ergonomics, Human Physiology, Hyperbaric Medicine, Intensive Care, Military Medicine, Nutrition, Occupational Medicine, Pharmacology and more.

The annual congress is the showpiece of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine and of the community involved internationally in this varied and challenging field. Through the combined efforts of all involved locally and under the auspices of the International Academy, we hope to prepare a very varied and informative mix of papers, panels and visits, which promise to educate, inform and enlighten us. It will be up to all the participants to help make this happen and I call upon you all to submit abstracts and to plan to participate in the congress. Hopefully we shall all come away from this meeting enriched with many new ideas, a broader and deeper understanding of some of the issues and, maybe most importantly, with many new friends and contacts

For further information about the Congress visit:  http://www.icasm2013.org.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Careers_at_ESA/SEMQ1X2ABAH_0.html   

Please note that the closing date for applications was adjusted to 06.01.2012 to be in line with the normal publication times.