CHEPSTOW man Ben Pisacane was one of a pair of students chosen to meet and work with British astronaut Tim Peake as part of his university’s collaboration with Spaceport Cornwall.

Ben Pisacane, who attended Wyedean School, near Chepstow, before pursuing his studies in film at Falmouth University’s School of Film and Television was asked to join Spaceport’s broadcast crew for a special UK-wide broadcast ‘Countdown 2 Launch’, which has been commissioned by Spaceport for a school-age audience.

The broadcast will highlight the UK's first rocket launch set to take place in this month and offer a deep dive into the UK’s burgeoning space sector.

Schools and individuals can sign up to express an interest in watching the broadcast and it’s hoped the film will offer a revealing glimpse into the possibilities of a career in STEM for young people across the UK.

Ben was chosen by Spaceport as he has been producing a documentary of his university's involvement in the launch through the creation of an interactive VR experience.

Produced by Falmouth’s Immersive Business Lab, the VR experience was recently used at Spaceport’s public installation outside the Natural Science Museum in London and visited by Richard Branson.

Wales’ first satellite, The ForgeStar-0 (designed and built by Cardiff startup Space Forge) is also set to be launched via Virgin Orbit's Start Me Up mission in November.

Film student Ben, from Chepstow, said: "I’ve been involved with Spaceport shooting a promotional documentary of the virtual reality ‘space launch’ experience which has been made with the Immersive Business Lab to simulate the upcoming space launch. I was then asked by Spaceport Cornwall to help out with the filming at the Natural Science Museum, where we filmed an interview with British astronaut Tim Peake.

“Tim is a fascinating, modest man – a real-life spaceman! It was also fun to visit Spaceport and learn about the impact that the launch is expected to have on the UK.

"I have met lots of people in both the film and space industries and hope that I now have my foot in the door for future career opportunities. I’m very grateful for the opportunity, it’s definitely something I won't forget and I’m happy to have had a small role in this massive endeavour.”