The UK's most famous astronaut has revealed he hasn't ruled out returning to space.
Major Tim Peake became a household name in 2015 when he became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the first to complete a spacewalk.
After greeting King Charles at Harwell science and innovation campus on Friday, where the King officially opened the UK Space and Defence Gateway, Major Peake spoke of his plans for the future.
READ MORE: King Charles launches new space initiative
"I don’t think any astronaut ever hangs up their space boots, and I haven’t - never say never is my opinion on that," he said.
Major Peake said there is a chance he will go to space again, because he is one of four astronauts working for Axiom Space, based in Houston, Texas, which is planning to fly astronauts to the space station.
King Charles wore sunglasses in the scorching heat when he viewed a Union flag that was flown to the International Space Station.
The new gateway will be a hub for collaboration in the space and defence sectors, including with a focus on sustainability.
The King saw models of space technology, including satellites and spoke with partners of the initiative, including from the European Space Agency, Astroscale, Oxford Space Systems, and Space Solar.
Speaking at the campus, after unveiling a plaque to launch the initiative, the King said: “It’s very good for you all to gather in this west African climate.”
He said the organisations’ work will ensure “that we manage that environment rather better than we’ve done so far”.
King Charles added: “I do congratulate you on all your efforts.
“I look forward very much to seeing all the developments that can take place here over the years.”
The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), which was established by the King in 2020 when he was prince of Wales, has announced a partnership with the Harwell Campus to advance its global framework called Astra Carta.
Major Peake, who is an ambassador for the SMI’s Astra Carta initiative, said humans will not be able to leave earth if it becomes unsafe from space debris.
He said: “There’s nothing quite as powerful as seeing your home planet from space and to give you a completely fresh perspective on the vastness of the universe and how tiny our planet is and how incredibly thin our atmosphere is.
“We need to protect the environment so we can continue to use it.”
He added: “Quite rightly, King Charles recognised the space environment as an incredibly precious environment.
“I think we can see from today the power the King has and the importance of having the King behind these initiatives because he has the ability to convene people from industry, from academia, from public and private finance, from space defence for example, and get everybody in the same room talking about the issues at hand.
“He recognises this as a moment to make sure that if we get it right from the outset, then that will pay dividends for generations and generations to come.”
The King also spoke to John McFall, who is the only professional astronaut with a physical disability, a British Paralympic sprinter and an orthopaedic surgeon, selected by the European Space Agency in 2022.
Charles then inspected a Union flag which was sent to the International Space Station for one year from June 2023.
Earlier in the afternoon, the King visited the UK’s national space laboratory, RAL Space, where he viewed an earth observation satellite model, a space test chamber, an aerial space telescope and a vibration chamber testing area.
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