Britain's first proper astronaut.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

The Independent refers to Major Tim Peake as Britain's first Proper astronaut but has the generally secular humanist rag fit only for wiping your arse with got it right?

I thought the first British Astronaut was Helen Sharman.

[Gordon]

I thought so too.

(btw: love the thoughtful and eloquent OP).

[floo]

The Independent refers to Major Tim Peake as Britain's first Proper astronaut but has the generally secular humanist rag fit only for wiping your arse with got it right?

I thought the first British Astronaut was Helen Sharman.

So did I!

[Hope]

We have had several British astronauts over the years, including Helen Sharman.  Many have had to become naturalised Americans to be able to travel with NASA, and I understand that Helen was paid for by big business/public subscription.

The reason they are - rather foolishly in my view - referring to Tim Peake as our first 'proper' astronaut is because he is the first one to be paid for out of the public purse.

[BeRational]

I also think Astronaut is pushing it a bit as well.

They just go into orbit.

[jeremyp]

I also think Astronaut is pushing it a bit as well.

They just go into orbit.

Can you name any astronaut that has been out of the Earth's orbit?

[Shaker]

Can you name any astronaut that has been out of the Earth's orbit?

Ooooh yer bugger, that's a slyboots, scientifically informed trick question 

[Nearly Sane]

Ooooh yer bugger, that's a slyboots, scientifically informed trick question 

is it JeeeSuus?

[Shaker]

Behave 

[BeRational]

Can you name any astronaut that has been out of the Earth's orbit?

No.

There have been none.

But going to the moon was a big challenge.

Going into orbit is nothing.

We should be on Mars by now.

[Bubbles]

Can you name any astronaut that has been out of the Earth's orbit?

According to this there have been 24

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Apollo_astronauts

They are listed there 

The earth doesn't orbit the moon  .

[jeremyp]

Going into orbit is nothing.

Really? Did you see all the training that Tim Peake had to do? Also, getting in to orbit requires you to strap yourself to a massive bomb and hope that it doesn't blow up all at once. Getting out of orbit requires you to sit in a tin can that is heated up to several thousand degrees C and then hope that the parachutes haven't been fried.

I do not begrudge him the title of astronaut.

[jeremyp]

According to this there have been 24

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Apollo_astronauts

They are listed there 

The earth doesn't orbit the moon  .

This is the trick part of my question that Shaker spotted. When the astronauts were on the Moon, they were still in an Earth orbit because the Moon orbits the Earth.

[Bubbles]

This is the trick part of my question that Shaker spotted. When the astronauts were on the Moon, they were still in an Earth orbit because the Moon orbits the Earth.

But they had to leave the earths orbit when they set out towards the moon, they were no longer going around the earth or the moon , or in an earth orbit.
Had they missed the moon they would have kept going........
Arguably they were when they orbited the moon again, but actually they were in a moon orbit rather than an earth one.

But initially when they set off towards the moon they broke away from an earth orbit


 

[jeremyp]

But they had to leave the earths orbit when they set out towards the moon, they were no longer going around the earth, or in an earth orbit.

But that would mean anybody moving between two Earth orbits is not orbiting the Earth.

Arguably they were when they orbited the moon again, but actually they were in a moon orbit rather than an earth one.

They orbited the Moon which was orbiting the Earth.

[Bubbles]

But that would mean anybody moving between two Earth orbits is not orbiting the Earth.
They orbited the Moon which was orbiting the Earth.

That's right. A meteor travelling in a straight line from one point to another ,isn't in an orbit.

The astronauts going to the moon would have travelled in a path that wasn't in an earth orbit, to get there.

[Bubbles]

https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/apollo-to-the-moon/online/apollo-11/getting-to-the-moon.cfm

They navigated using the stars.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121213-seven-steps-to-another-giant-leap


It's the bit where they leave the earth orbit and travel to the moon ( and then take up an orbit around the moon)

It's dangerous because they are no longer in an orbit.

So they had to get their figures right, or wind up lost in space.

You don't get lost if you stay in an orbit.

[BeRational]

Really? Did you see all the training that Tim Peake had to do? Also, getting in to orbit requires you to strap yourself to a massive bomb and hope that it doesn't blow up all at once. Getting out of orbit requires you to sit in a tin can that is heated up to several thousand degrees C and then hope that the parachutes haven't been fried.

I do not begrudge him the title of astronaut.

I do not begrudge him but I am underwhelmed.
I would go into orbit as I suspect a great many people would.

It does not take much and we should be going much further.

[Udayana]

"should" ? 

[BeRational]

"should" ?

Yes Should after all this time.

We are not making sufficient progress in my opinion.

I doubt we could land on the moon.

[Brownie]

I too do not begrudge him the title "Astronaut" but admit to not seeing the point of it all.  It costs a great deal of money which could be better spent elsewhere.  Just my opinion.  Plus it is dangerous.  He's a family man.

I suppose Britain, or UK, feel they are in some sort of competition with the USA and Russia but why?

[Hope]

Yes Should after all this time.

We are not making sufficient progress in my opinion.

I doubt we could land on the moon.

Why aren't we progressing sufficiently, BR?

Is space travel only for the purpose of exploring other planets, or does and should it have as much or more value for imformation on the human body and the development of new medicines, scientific theories, etc?

[BeRational]

Why aren't we progressing sufficiently, BR?

Is space travel only for the purpose of exploring other planets, or does and should it have as much or more value for imformation on the human body and the development of new medicines, scientific theories, etc?

Need to get to Mars.
That is good measure of success.
We must have enough other information by now, it not we are incredibly dim.

We have people in orbit 365 days of the year. It's all quite dull.

Getting to Mars is difficult, challenging and I think we should do it.

I am not interested in the next person going into orbit. We have been doing this for decades.

Equally, I want a fusion reactor please on stream delivery cheap clean electricity (too cheap to meter)

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Need to get to Mars.
That is good measure of success.
We must have enough other information by now, it not we are incredibly dim.

We have people in orbit 365 days of the year. It's all quite dull.

Getting to Mars is difficult, challenging and I think we should do it.

I am not interested in the next person going into orbit. We have been doing this for decades.

Equally, I want a fusion reactor please on stream delivery cheap clean electricity (too cheap to meter)

When I read that BR I see you in a completely different light........... Someone else deprived of a career as a space commander, silver poloneck shirt and jumpsuit, Hovercar and House on stilts.

[BeRational]

When I read that BR I see you in a completely different light........... Someone else deprived of a career as a space commander, silver poloneck shirt and jumpsuit, Hovercar and House on stilts.

And of course where's my jetpack