Astronaut Joe Tanner is preparing for the first construction mission to the International Space Station since the Columbia disaster in 2003.
Nasa veteran Mr Tanner, whose family come from Wales, is set for his fourth
space flight on Sunday.His grandfather was a head teacher in Llanddewi-Brefi
in Ceredigion.The village became famous after being featured in the
Little Britain comedy series - the home of Dafydd, who claims to be "
the only gay in the village". Illinois-born Mr Tanner, a cousin of the
first National Poet for Wales Gwyneth Lewis, visited Llanddewi-Brefi primary
school in 1995.
His mother also grew up in the area and was a pupil at nearby Tregaron High
School.
A veteran of three shuttle flights and five space walks, his latest mission
aboard the shuttle Atlantis will last 11 days. The six crew will resume
assembly of the $100bn International Space Station.
It will be the first construction flight to the station since the Columbia
disaster. Nasa has since flown two missions designed to test safety upgrades.
Father-of-two Mr Tanner is one of Nasa's most experienced astronauts and has
logged more than 30 days (742 hours) in space.
His experiences partly inspired his cousin Gwyneth Lewis to write a
collection of poems called Zero Gravity, which she wrote after his shuttle
mission in 1997.
Meanwhile, another relation, second cousin Maelgwyn Davies, from near
Aberaeron, Ceredigion, has been invited to Sunday's launch.
Little Britain's character Daffyd (sic)
Little Britain's Daffyd made Llanddewi-brefi famous
"Five members of the family will be going across to see it," he
said.
"Although we haven't seen each other for four years, Joe said then
that his next mission would probably be his last. He wants to move into
management.
"His mission will involve a space walk and he will help fit new solar
panels to the space centre."
As for Llanddewi-Brefi, Mr Tanner's links with the village are genuine
unlike its fictional famous son Daffyd (sic), "the only gay in the
village".
However, there has been a genuine Dafydd in space. Canadian Dafydd Rhys
Williams, whose family is from Bargoed, south Wales, was the first man to
fly the Welsh flag in space in 1998.
Dr Williams is preparing for his second mission, although he does not yet
have a launch date.
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