Ask an Astronaut

Ask an Astronaut by Tim Peake is a question-and-answer guide to becoming an astronaut and living and working in space, drawing on Peake’s experience of his Principia mission aboard the International Space Station. Written for readers of all ages, it answers questions about astronaut training, launch, everyday life in orbit, spacewalking and returning to Earth.

• Activity: Questions and answers about astronaut life and spaceflight
• Covers: Launch, training, life and work on the ISS, spacewalking, Earth and space, and returning to Earth
• Suitable for: Readers of all ages, including those new to space and spaceflight
• Includes: Q&As, ‘Did you know?’ facts, diagrams, photos and illustrations

More about the book
The questions range from the practical details of fitting inside a Soyuz capsule and eating, sleeping and going to the toilet in space to the science and planning behind routes for spacewalks on the ISS. Peake also explores what Earth looks like from orbit and what it feels like to travel around the planet at extraordinary speed.

Alongside Peake’s answers, ‘Did you know?’ facts provide additional information about life in space and the history of space travel, while diagrams, photos and illustrations help explain the scientific and technical material. A picture section of full-colour photographs offers a closer look at astronaut training and everyday life aboard the ISS, including zero-gravity training, astronauts inside the space station and food rations.

The book is organised into sections that follow different stages and aspects of an astronaut’s experience, so it can be read from beginning to end or used to explore individual questions.

More books about astronauts and life in space
If you're looking for books similar to Ask an Astronaut, these books also explore what it takes to become an astronaut and the realities of living and working in space, with approaches ranging from interactive astronaut testing to first-hand accounts of training and life aboard the ISS.

• The Astronaut Selection Test Book by Tim Peake and the European Space Agency: Like Ask an Astronaut, this draws on Peake’s experience as an ESA astronaut and explores astronaut training and spaceflight. Instead of answering questions about the experience, it puts readers through 100 tests and exercises based on the ESA astronaut selection process.
• Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly: Shares Ask an Astronaut’s first-hand perspective on life aboard the International Space Station, including the practical and personal realities of living in orbit. Rather than using a question-and-answer format, Kelly tells the story of his record-breaking year in space and his wider career as an astronaut.
• Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut by Samantha Cristoforetti: Also gives readers a first-hand account of astronaut training and everyday life aboard the ISS, including spacewalk preparation, weightlessness and living in orbit. Where Ask an Astronaut is organised around readers’ questions, Cristoforetti follows her journey from intensive astronaut training through launch to 200 days aboard the space station.