Astronaut ‘Major Tim’ speaks at SSAFA’s annual carol concert in December

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24 October 2024

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and former Army officer Tim Peake will read one of the lessons at the annual carol concert in aid of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity on Wednesday December 4, 2024.

Held, as per tradition, at The Guard’s Chapel Wellington Barracks in London, all proceeds and donations will go to help SSAFA in its 140-year mission to boldly support serving and former UK military personnel and their families.

Born in Chichester and commissioned into the Army Air Corps in 1992, Tim was awarded his “wings” in 1994.

He flew on military operations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, and Afghanistan. As a test pilot, he was involved in numerous test flights on many different types of military helicopter. Tim began ESA's intensive astronaut basic training course in September 2009 and graduated in 2010.

When crewing the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015-2016, Tim conducted a spacewalk to repair its power supply. Other highlights saw him drive a rover across a simulated Mars terrain from space, taking part in over 250 scientific experiments for ESA and international partners and helping to dock two spacecraft with the ISS.

More than 30 education outreach projects were conducted during Tim’s mission, which have reached more than two million students.

Other speakers will be present on the night to really get the Christmas feeling going, but with a serious message: supporting our Armed Forces in their time of need so they never have to battle alone, but instead knowing SSAFA is there for them.

The SSAFA carol concert will begin at 7pm. As well as readings and seasonal poetry from Tim and other guests, there will be performances from the gifted and acclaimed soprano Sofia Kirwan-Baez and as the Band of the Scots Guards and the Chapel Choir. It will end around 8pm. A reception in the Officers’ Mess will continue until around 10pm.