British astronaut calls wrong number from space

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Dec 25 2015 | 4:57 PM IST
Britain's first astronaut on a space mission, Major Tim Peake, accidentally called the wrong number when trying to call home from space.
Major Peake quickly took to Twitter to insist that the incident was not a prank call "just a wrong number!"
"I'd like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying 'Hello, is this planet Earth?' - not a prank call... Just a wrong number," he tweeted from his space station International Space Station (ISS).
The 43-year-old, who is spending six months conducting scientific experiments on the station, has been unlucky with calls to the Earth and had earlier got his parents' answering machine when he tried to wish them a Merry Christmas.
Earlier in the week, Peake helped two fellow crew members to conduct a space walk outside the ISS. Astronauts Tim Kopra and Scott Kelly, from the US space agency Nasa, went outside the ISS to fix a broken component.
Peake, who is a former major in the Army, is the first Briton to join the crew of the ISS and is employed by the European Space Agency.
Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to travel to space when she visited the Soviet Mir orbiting station in 1991.
Other Britons who have flown into space have done so either as private individuals or by taking US citizenship. Earlier this month Peake was waved off by his wife and two sons, Thomas, six, and Oliver, four, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 25 2015 | 4:57 PM IST

Next Story