Astronauts Touch Down in Edinburgh

By JONATHAN BROCKLEBANK

IT is one of the most exclusive clubs on the planet, so restrictive you have a far better chance of winning the lottery than ever getting in.

But 73 members of the Association of Space Explorers, who have all orbited the earth at least once, landed in Edinburgh yesterday.

They gathered for their 20th Planetary Congress at which they will discuss topics such as Earth taking a direct hit from a huge asteroid and climate change.

Space explorers present included Edinburgh University graduate Nicholas Patrick, who took a Saltire into space as a crew member on the Discovery shuttle last December.

Also there was Helen Sharman, Britain’s first astronaut who spent eight days on the Mir space station during a Russian mission in 1991.

The congress is being hosted by Careers Scotland, and it is hoped the event will inspire hundreds of young people to get involved in science. Teams of astronauts will visit every local education area in the country this week to speak to schools about their experiences.

John Fabian, who flew two space shuttle missions in the 1980s, said: ‘The thing that really unites us is not just looking down on earth, but also a shared educational experience.

‘We hope that meeting some of our members will inspire young people in Scotland to consider science and technology for study and as a future career.’

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