One Small Step For Man… One Giant Leap For Leeds Uni

An incredible feat: Two students are going to space and they’re not even pre-drinking…


To most people in Leeds, the phrase ‘Mission to Space’ would probably denote little more than the nightclub schedule for a Thursday night out in town.

But for two ambitious uni students, those words don’t just refer to Leeds nightlife.

Budding astronauts Nadav Eldar and Joshua Ratcliffe have set their sights a lot higher than an evening on the lash by reaching the final stages of a challenge to go to space.

Reach for the stars Joshua and Nadav are Leeds uni’s answer to Yuri Gagarin

The pair have beaten 1 million other competitors to make it to the final four for the UK in the international contest and are tantalisingly close to realising their dream of exploring the universe.

On Monday they jetted to the US for the final stages of the cosmic contest in which they underwent rigorous aptitude tests.

The duo will be granted the fantastic opportunity to break the sound barrier in a shuttle before seeing our planet as only 500 people have seen it before if they do manage to win.

Gonna send them to outer space: Nadav and Josh alongside alongside the other finalists

They will then experience weightlessness in zero gravity before returning to Leeds as heroes.

Speaking earlier this year, Joshua said: “To have been chosen to go to Space Camp in America is unbelievable. I study physics with astrophysics so this can’t really get much better.”

Nadav said: “To be given the chance to actually enter space is incredible.”

The Tab wishes the boys the best of luck in the competition.