Astronaut snaps selfie during historic spacewalk
British astronaut Tim Peake goes for a stroll in space and takes time for a spectacular selfie featuring Earth reflected in his helmet visor.
Tim Peake is shaping up to be a bit of a folk hero in the UK. The European Space Agency astronaut is currently on board the International Space Station, zipping around Earth in orbit. On Friday, Peake went out on a spacewalk along with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra on a mission to repair a power unit outside the station. Peake took a selfie to commemorate the event.
Peake is the first British ESA astronaut on the ISS and the first astronaut to wear a British flag during a spacewalk. The flag patch was attached to the left shoulder of his spacesuit. Astronaut Michael Foale was born in Britain and conducted a spacewalk back in 1995, but did so under the US flag as a NASA astronaut.
The close-up selfie shows Peake's shoulders and helmet with the blackness of space behind him. The Earth is reflected as a blue globe in his visor. But that's not all. Take a close look and you will see part of the station, Peake's hands, the camera and his fellow astronaut Kopra in the distance. That's quite a lot to pack into a selfie.
Tim Peake takes some big steps for British astronauts.
"Today's exhilarating #spacewalk will be etched in my memory forever - quite an incredible feeling!" Peake tweeted in regards to his space adventure.
Peake and Kopra successfully replaced the faulty unit ahead of schedule. Peake's photo op joins an illustrious lineup of space selfies that includes a snap of astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore during a spacewalk in 2015 and a historic self-portrait taken by Buzz Aldrin in 1966 during the Gemini 12 mission.
Peake has plenty on his plate during his time in space. He will run a marathon timed to match the London Marathon back on Earth on April 24. The astronaut will strap into a specialized treadmill for the athletic feat. Perhaps we'll get another space selfie during Peake's challenging run.
