Tim Peake retires from European astronaut corps

UK spaceman Tim Peake is stepping down permanently from his relation arsenic a European astronaut.

He's going to instrumentality up a full-time ambassadorial presumption for subject and abstraction alternatively - enactment he's been doing since 2019.

The erstwhile British Army Air Corps chopper aviator was selected arsenic a European Space Agency (Esa) astronaut successful 2009.

He flew to the abstraction presumption for a six-month circuit successful 2015/2016.

"Being an Esa astronaut has been the astir bonzer experience," Tim Peake said.

"I person had the privilege of moving with an exceptional squad of dedicated individuals during the past 13 years with the agency, which has been incredibly breathtaking and rewarding.

"By assuming the relation of an ambassador for quality spaceflight, I shall proceed to enactment Esa and the UK Space Agency, with a absorption connected acquisition outreach, and I look guardant to the galore breathtaking opportunities ahead."

In November past year, Esa unveiled UK citizens Rosemary Coogan, John McFall and Meganne Christian arsenic caller astronaut candidates.

Coogan is acceptable to statesman grooming successful April; McFall is joining a feasibility survey to spot if helium tin alert arsenic a disabled astronaut (he's a erstwhile Paralympic "blade runner"); and Christian is simply a reserve and could articulation the corps if idiosyncratic other drops out.