British College Launches Astronaut Course

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 21, 2008 7:14 PM CST

(Newser) – A British university is making a political stand as it teaches students how to survive in outer space, the Guardian reports. The University of Leicester has hired NASA shuttle veteran Jeff Hoffman to lead a new course on how to become an astronaut, despite the UK government's ban on manned space flight. Lawmakers are reviewing the policy and promise to make a decision by the end of the year.

"I'm fed up with the way the UK keeps dodging the issue of being involved in human spaceflight," said Martin Barstow, head of physics and astronomy at Leicester. "Our students don't need to be loaded with that baggage. They still have aspirations to be astronauts and they still want to get involved in the space industry, so why should the UK government's attitude be a handicap?"

In this image provided by NASA, Astronaut Greg Chamitoff looks through a window in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station at earth Sunday Nov. 2, 2008. (Associated Press)

In this image provided by NASA Astronaut Steve Bowen participates in the mission's first session of extravehicular activity Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA)

This image provided by NASA shows astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper anchored to a Canadarm2 mobile foot restraint on Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

World's Biggest Plane to Rocket People into Space

Paul Allen project might be ready for tests in 2016

(NEWSER) - The world's biggest plane, with wings longer than a football field, is being built to launch astronauts and cargo into outer space. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace innovator Burt Rutan have teamed up to create the gargantuan aircraft, which will work by hauling a rocket high into the air and then blasting it into space, thus bypassing the need for a launch pad and saving on fuel, reports AP . They unveiled their plans yesterday. More»

NASA's New Worry: Astronauts Going Blind

It could happen on a trip to Mars

(NEWSER) - NASA has a serious health concern to resolve before it fires up a manned mission to Mars or some other way-off locale: Astronauts might not be able to see anything once they get there. As the Orlando Sentinel explains, the space agency is seeing more cases of astronauts reporting blurred vision after months on the International Space Station. Vision generally returns to normal once the astronauts are back home, but the concern is that a three-year mission to Mars could be a different story. More»

London's Student Protest Turns Violent

52K take to streets to protest university fees

(NEWSER) - Chaos erupted in London today during a student demonstration over an increase in university tuition fees, the Guardian reports. Though most of the 52,000 protesters conducted themselves peacefully, a small group threw rocks at police and forcibly entered the headquarters of the Tory Party. Once inside, they made their way to the roof and threw fire extinguishers and other objects from the roof. Fourteen people—some police, some protesters—were hospitalized, and 35 protesters arrested. More»

Yank Blasts Off With Cosmonauts

Team will join crew at international space station

(NEWSER) - A Russian rocket blasted off from a space center in southern Kazakhstan today, transporting a NASA astronaut, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station. The team will join a Russian commander, a NASA astronaut, and a Japanese astronaut on board the station when they dock on Sunday, notes the AP . "We are ready," Caldwell said, in Russian, just before the launch. More»

Moon Trash Declared National Treasure

Calif. aims to preserve Apollo urine containers, space boots

(NEWSER) - California has named the remains of the Apollo 11 mission—including urine containers and space boots—a state historical resource. Experts in the nascent field of space archeology worry that, without preservation, what they call a "sacred site of world history" might be looted by future missions or space tourists. "Can you imagine someone driving a cart over Neil Armstrong's first footprint?" one asks—or pieces of Apollo 11 on eBay? More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

British College Launches Astronaut Course

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

space exploration • astronauts • university • Britain

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

World's Biggest Plane to Rocket People into Space

Paul Allen project might be ready for tests in 2016

NASA's New Worry: Astronauts Going Blind

It could happen on a trip to Mars

London's Student Protest Turns Violent

52K take to streets to protest university fees

Yank Blasts Off With Cosmonauts

Team will join crew at international space station

Moon Trash Declared National Treasure

Calif. aims to preserve Apollo urine containers, space boots

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

British College Launches Astronaut Course

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

space exploration • astronauts • university • Britain

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

World's Biggest Plane to Rocket People into Space

Paul Allen project might be ready for tests in 2016

NASA's New Worry: Astronauts Going Blind

It could happen on a trip to Mars

London's Student Protest Turns Violent

52K take to streets to protest university fees

Yank Blasts Off With Cosmonauts

Team will join crew at international space station

Moon Trash Declared National Treasure

Calif. aims to preserve Apollo urine containers, space boots

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?