Oil and gas industry skills body OPITO has lined up a stellar speaker for its upcoming event in Kuala Lumpur as British astronaut Tim Peake is set to share his experience of training for a six-month stint in space.

The European Space Agency astronaut will be the keynote speaker at the OPITO Global Conference in the Malaysian capital on 6 November.

“Tim, who became the first British astronaut to walk in space, credits extensive virtual reality training during a 10-year programme with the European Space Agency for helping him to be ready for the unique and demanding experience,” the event’s organisers said as they unveiled their star man.

Peake, who was a British Army Air Corps officer and a test pilot, shot to fame in late 2015 when he took off on the Soyuz spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS).

Spending half a year there in total, he completed numerous space walks — becoming the first Briton to walk in space — as well as helping to dock two spacecraft and taking part in more than 250 scientific experiments.

Peake has been brought on board by OPITO to talk about his training for the space odyssey, which included survival courses in extreme environments, spending a week in an underground cave system in Italy and 12 days under water.

“My extensive training, particularly using virtual reality simulators, was undoubtedly the best preparation for launching into space and living there for six months,” he said.

“Our training helped us appreciate what it felt like to be cold, hungry and under pressure. You understand your capabilities and can be prepared for every eventuality.

“In any high-risk environment, preparing for the worst makes the reality easier. When you’ve spent hours simulating every possible outcome, you feel ready to respond as a team.”

OPITO chief executive John McDonald added: “There are real similarities in how the energy and space industries prepare people to operate safely in demanding and extreme environments.

“We can learn a great deal from Tim’s inspiring space experience, how simulation technology helped him get mission ready and how these new techniques can be used in the energy sector.”

Weekly

Peake on launchpad for OPITO event