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William and Megan Meet British Astronaut Tim Peake for Unveiling of Deep-Space Antenna

Two Penryn College students had the privilege of meeting British astronaut Tim Peake as part of the opening of the world’s first commercial deep-space antenna ‘GHY-6’ at Goonhilly Earth Station on Friday afternoon.

William and Megan participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside Peake – the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station – to celebrate the unveiling of the antenna, which has been used to send transmissions to Mars, and will support space missions for NASA and the ESA (European Space Agency).

As part of the unveiling ceremony, both William and Megan were also treated to a tour of the Earth Station, which included a visit inside of the Goonhilly 6 building to see its internal workings, and much more.

Head of STEAM at Penryn College, Mr Childs, who accompanied the students to Goonhilly, commented on the special visit. He said: “It was a really special day for our lucky students, who not only had the opportunity to meet a world-famous astronaut, but also witnessed a historic moment in the unveiling of the GHY-6.

“We will be keeping a close eye on the progress and performance of GHY-6, and will certainly remember the visit for years to come.”

A big thank you to Goonhilly Earth Station for providing our students and staff with this fantastic opportunity.