I’m an Astronaut, Get me out of here starts this October, with students from 25 schools located all over the country connecting with the Astro Support Team in the Training Zone!

Between 5th–16th October, schools students will challenge the engineer, medic, instructor, scientist and flight controller who make up the Team through fast-paced live chats and probing questions, before voting for their favourite Team member.

For the latest news and announcements about I’m an Astronaut follow @iaagmooh on Twitter and look out for the hashtag #Principia.

Let’s meet the schools and the Astro Support Team who’ll be interacting in the Training Zone…

The Astro Support Team

Anne Visscher | Career Development Fellow in Comparative Seed Biology, Kew Gardens, UK

If humans want to travel to other planets and stay there for a long time, they need to take seeds with them. Without seeds, they cannot grow plants for food, oxygen, clean water and many other things that they will need on their new planet. I want to know what the best way is for the seeds to travel from Earth through space.

Beth Healey | ESA Research MD for spaceflight analogue Concordia, Antarctica

I’m a British medical doctor conducting research in Antarctica for the European Space Agency on spaceflight analogue Concordia. Here, the conditions are similar to those experienced by astronauts, like Tim, on the Principia Mission in space. We hope our findings will further increase our understanding of the physiology and psychology of Astronauts in future long duration spaceflight missions.

Jonathan Scott | Medical Projects and Technology Team Lead at ESA European Astronaut Centre, Germany

Members of my team are responsible for Tim Peake’s physical fitness and will provide him with special exercise programmes to follow before, during and after his mission.

Simon Challis, Sergio Palumberi and Libby Jackson | ESA Columbus Flight Directors, Germany and UK

Our team is the overall responsible for the operations of Columbus, the European Space Laboratory in the International Space Station and we are coordinating all astronauts activities in it. Tim will perform a lot of scientific experiments inside Columbus, we will be the team supporting him every day, coordinating all his activities so that they are successful and making sure that he is always safe

Tom Morse | Electronics Engineer at STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Space, UK

I was the lead electronics engineer on the UrtheCast camera project, which meant developing the electronic wizardry for both cameras, working closely with UrtheCast and the Russian counterparts who launched/flew/installed the cameras on the ISS. Tim will be living with the cameras aboard the ISS and they will be “seeing what he sees”, allowing the folks here on Earth to gain an appreciation of his perspective on our planet.

Locations of schools taking part, as seen from the ISS, but with added helpful labels!

The Schools

• Arrow Vale Academy, Matchborough
• Avanti House Stanmore, London
• Bexleyheath Academy, Bexleyheath
• Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, Worcester
• Caroline Chisholm School, Wootton Fields
• Fulford School, York
• Fulston Manor School, Sittingbourne
• Holyhead School, Birmingham
• Irchester Community Primary School, Irchester
• Kingsmeadow Community College, Gateshead
• Lampton School, London
• Lark Rise Academy, Dunstable
• Mallaig High School, Highlands
• Middlewich High School, Middlewich
• Moulton School and Science College, Moulton
• Newstead Wood School, Orpington
• Shimna Integrated College, Down
• Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School, Marlow
• Spalding High School for Girls, Spalding
• St Mary’s High School, Chesterfield
• The Derby High School, Bury
• The King’s School, Devon
• Wellfield High School, Leyland
• Woodkirk Academy, Tingley