Prince Harry, Space Cadet?

Prince Harry, standing in front of an Apache helicopter, will be prepping for possible deployment in a combat zone. (Getty Images)

Prince Harry apparently would like boldly go where no royal has gone before.

That’s right … space.

"Harry has already completed his studies of Land and Sea Surveillance and Oceanology--part of astro training -- and can't wait to get into one of NASA's T38 training jets," a source has reportedly told the Sun newspaper in London.

The report goes on to connect the dots that with his current flight training in Apache helicopters and his supposed passion for ‘Star Trek,’ he is on the path towards a berth in the NASA training program. He would need at least 1,000 hours of at the control of a jet to qualify.

If that’s out of range, he is also reportedly ready to pull a few strings and ask Sir Richard Branson for a seat on one of the first Virgin Galactic sub-orbital flights.

"He's been going on about this for months,” said the Sun source. “A lot of people don't know Harry's a Trekkie and has long harboured a desire to get into space.”

Whatever his dreams, they may have to wait a while. The Telegraph reports that the prince will have to keep an open calendar for 2012 because of the British military’s commitments abroad. He reportedly will be undergoing helicopter combat training in the U.S. later this year for potential deployment.

The 26-year-old pilot spent 10 weeks with British troops in Afghanistan in 2008.

Meanwhile, Harry is also becoming an art collector. A reminder of his Afghan misson, he has spent $4,000 on a painting (right) by war artist Jules George, who was embedded with troops there. ‘Beyond TheWire’ depicts troops boarding a Chinook.

Comments

[mopalot]

Good Luck to him. He evidently does not want to be an idle royal.