BY JASPER HAMILL
Major Tim says he's confident that we're not alone in the universe and makes an astonishing prediction
It's life Tim, but not as we know it: Peake is a 'firm believer' in extraterrestrial life
Astronaut Tim Peake is set to join a handful of British astronauts who have performed a space walk.
But the Chichester-born spaceman has said that his incredible journey is just one small step in a longer mission which could eventually result in humans discovering life on another planet.
Peake said he was confident scientists would soon crack the "big question" of whether we are alone in the universe.
"There is a high chance we will soon discover there was - or is - life in our solar system," the 43-year-old told Mirror Online.
"I would be very surprised if there wasn't life elsewhere in the universe."
However, the astronaut said he didn't expect little green men to suddenly pop up from the craters of the Red Planet.
"Single cell life forms might be found on Mars," he continued.
Tim also suggested extraterrestrial organisms might be found on the moons of Saturn or Jupiter, some of which are thought to hide vast oceans of water.
He said: "Wherever there is water, there is the possibility of life."
On December 15, the former military test pilot blasted off on a mission to the International Space Station, leaving his wife and two sons back on Earth.
Speaking from Kazakhstan, Tim said his decision to fly into space was "not taken lightly" and had prompted "serious discussions" with his wife.
"There is risk involved and it's not easy," he confessed.
"In the last year, we've seen supply vehicles which haven't made it into orbit.
"It would be unnatural if my family weren't worried about me going into space, but they are very supportive."
In less than a fortnight, Tim will blast off aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket to begin his six-month stay on the International Space Station .
