Hallo Spaceboy: Pet Shop Boys Fan Tim Peake Becomes First Brit To Walk In Space — See The Duo’s Message To Him
Pet Shop Boys famously remixed David Bowie‘s 1996 single “Hallo Spaceboy,” turning it into a bona fide duet between the Thin White Duke and PSBs vocalist Neil Tennant. And last month the UK pop duo got to greet their fellow countryman Tim Peake, a fan of the pair who today became the first British person to walk in space.
Peake, 43, a flight engineer with the European Space Agency (ESA), boarded the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on December 15 along with Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and flight engineer Tim Kopra of NASA for a six-month mission to the International Space Station, as part of Expedition 46.
Prior to that, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe posted the following photo on Facebook and stated, “Good luck to ESA – European Space Agency astronaut and PSB fan Tim Peake, who will make his space voyage later this month. Chris and Neil sent him this little treat with their well wishes. #Spacerocks”
What a cool message to end the week – thanks @petshopboys & I’ll be sure to have some PSB on my #Spacerocks playlist https://t.co/mO3hQXxW40
— Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) December 4, 2015
Peake and Kopra were scheduled to spend roughly six hours today repairing a broken voltage regulator in the shunt system on the International Space Station. (The shunt system provides the station with power.) However, the walk was cut short after Kopra reported a water leak in his helmet. Both Peake and Kopra had completed the repair before ending the walk.
Wishing a safe spacewalk today to galactic Pet Shop Boys fan @astro_timpeake. Good luck. #Principia #spacerocks pic.twitter.com/LlqbLRURQl — Pet Shop Boys (@petshopboys) January 15, 2016
Another famous music act who wished Peake good luck on his mission today: The Who.
Good luck @astro_timpeake on your #EVA. Stay safe! #principia #spacerocks I can see for miles and miles and miles! Best wishes, @TheWho
— The Who (@TheWho) January 15, 2016
In December, Peake created a Spotify playlist that includes, among many other songs, Pet Shop Boys’ “Opportunities” and The Who’s “Magic Bus.”
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