TO OLDLY GO

The pure beauty of the Earth from Space is completely surreal. I've driven some fast cars but the acceleration of that is unbelievable

THE nation's oldest astronaut has made history by going to space aged 80 - and joked he will be off to the Moon next.

Former Olympic canoeist Jon Goodwin defied his Parkinson's disease to become Sir Richard Branson's first paying Virgin Galactic tourist.

On his triumphant return to Earth yesterday he said: "That is the most awesome thing I've done in my life. The pure beauty of the Earth from space is completely surreal.

"I've driven some fast cars, but the acceleration of that is unbelievable." Jon signed up for the trip in 2005, paying $250,000, but has had to wait 18 years for the flight to happen.

He said yesterday: "The only enjoyable part of waiting 18 years is I didn't have to think about what to do next. I've got a real problem now.

"It has to be the Moon next.

Since signing up to the trip he was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2014, but he told others with the debilitating condition: "Don't let it stop you from doing adventurous things.... It hasn't stopped me." 

He added: "When I signed up in 2005, I didn't have Parkinson's. Nine years ago, when I contracted the disease, I thought 'That's the end of my going into space. But, of course, it wasn't.