March 16, 2019, 11:30 pmUpdated: March 19, 2019, 9:20 am
“Welcome to space, Scotland” were the words uttered by Dave Mackay as he finally fulfilled his lifelong ambition of becoming an astronaut.
But now that he’s back on the ground, Virgin Galactic’s chief test pilot admits he’s struggling to put into words the ‘magical’ sight of looking down at the Earth below from 80km up.
The 61-year-old, originally from Helmsdale, became the first person born in Scotland to travel into space as he piloted the VSS Unity on a successful test flight last month.
He was treated to a stunning view over California’s Mojave Desert and beyond – something he believes a camera could never capture.
