'Hello, is this planet Earth?': British astronaut dials wrong number from space

Almost everyone has experienced receiving a misdialled call, but an unidentified individual recently experienced a misdial from space, courtesy of British astronaut Tim Peake.

Peake shared on his Twitter account that he was trying to call his home from the International Space Station when he realised he dialled the wrong number.

On Christmas Day, he tweeted an apology to the unknown woman who was on the other end of the line, and insisted that it was not a prank call.

"I'd like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying 'Hello, is this planet Earth?' — not a prank call — just a wrong number!" Peake said on his Twitter page, as quoted by USA Today.

The 43-year-old former Army helicopter pilot is closely being followed by millions of people in the United Kingdom, since he is Britain's first publicly funded astronaut, and also the first Briton to visit the space station.

An earlier report from The Telegraph also shared how Peake was also forced one time to leave a voice message to his parents who were not in their house when he called from space.

Peake's dad, Nigel, shared that they visited their daughter when the British astronaut called from the space station.

"It was quite surreal. We'd popped out for about an hour to see our daughter who lives nearby, came home to an answerphone message, 'Hello, this is your son from the International Space Station'," the British astronaut's dad told ITV News.

He added that he plans to keep his son's message in the answerphone.

"We're out when he calls! That message is going to stay there in perpetuity, I can assure you," he said.

The British astronaut is actively sharing photographs he took from the space station on Twitter. On Christmas Eve, for instance, he tweeted a photo of the sun peeking from behind the Earth, which has been retweeted over 9,300 times as of posting time.

Newsletter Stay up to date with Christian Today
related articles
Why the cost of Tim Peake\'s mission is worth every penny
Why the cost of Tim Peake's mission is worth every penny

Why the cost of Tim Peake's mission is worth every penny

Tim Peake mission on track after rocket docks with ISS
Tim Peake mission on track after rocket docks with ISS

Tim Peake mission on track after rocket docks with ISS

U.S.-Russia tensions dissipate in space where Russians and Americans depend on each other for survival
U.S.-Russia tensions dissipate in space where Russians and Americans depend on each other for survival

U.S.-Russia tensions dissipate in space where Russians and Americans depend on each other for survival

News
Let’s encourage our churches to support and pray for their elected representatives
Let’s encourage our churches to support and pray for their elected representatives

Last week’s elections confirm that people have lost trust in both the system and the politicians - and the fragmentation that exists in British politics. 

Church of England celebrates continued post-pandemic growth
Church of England celebrates continued post-pandemic growth

The Church said it was encouraged by five years in a row of growth while acknowledging that growth, attendance and participation remain below pre-pandemic levels.

Christians among main victims of Islamist violence in eastern DRC
Christians among main victims of Islamist violence in eastern DRC

Christians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are facing escalating violence from an Islamic State-linked militant group accused of massacres, abductions and systematic terror attacks across villages and churches, according to a major new Amnesty International report.

World Cup 2026 mission campaign aims to mobilise 10,000 churches
World Cup 2026 mission campaign aims to mobilise 10,000 churches

Evangelism and discipleship ministry Cru is hoping to mobilise 10,000 churches to spread the gospel during this summer’s World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico.