Flying start to astronaut's Captain Cook voyage

TO boldly go where no man from Captain Cook’s home village has been before is the mission of Yorkshire astronaut Nicholas Patrick.

Although he now lives in the States, the Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre graduate’s former home was Ingleby Manor, near Great Ayton – the North Yorkshire village where Captain Cook’s family also lived.

Now, the aerospace engineer has been selected for the crew of Nasa Spacecraft Endeavour – also the name of one of Cook’s ships of discovery – which will be launched from Cape Canaveral on February 7.

Dr Patrick, 45, will carry a small version of the Colonial Red Ensign flag and a photograph of Captain Cook in tribute to the explorer who flew a similar flag from Endeavour when he sailed off into the unknown in 1768.

The Colonial Red Ensign, also called the Meteor Flag, was adopted by Queen Anne as the flag for England and her colonies in 1707.

Dr Patrick consulted family and friends to try and obtain a small version of the flag to take on the spacecraft.

An estate spokesman at Ingleby Manor said: “When Stewart mentioned this request to Christine Bianco he was surprised to learn she is a Trustee of the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum in Great Ayton and her family have many associations with Captain Cook.

“A copy of the Colonial Red Ensign, small enough and light enough to be allowed on the spacecraft, was duly obtained.”

Harrow-educated Dr Patrick first went into space on board Discovery – the name of another of Cook’s ships.