Astronaut Tim Peake Calls the Wrong Number From Space

An anonymous reader writes: British astronaut Tim Peake was trying to call his parents to wish them a Merry Christmas from the International Space Station, but he dialed the wrong number, giving a retired teacher one of the best pub stories ever. According to the Independent: "The pensioner who Tim Peake accidently called from space said she thought the British astronaut 'had been out down the pub.' Betty Barker, a 79-year-old retired teacher, told the Daily Mirror: 'He said, "Hello, is that planet Earth?" So I said "no"'. 'I thought it was someone who had been out down the pub who was having me on. Then because it was quiet with no giggling or noise from a pub I thought it was someone looking to go to a nightclub called Planet Earth.' Mrs Barker said she put the phone down because she didn't want to 'take any more notice of it.'"

First "Is this planet earth" legitimate question..

[Ecuador]

First time that "Is this planet earth" is a legitimate question and it is answered incorrectly.

Re:

[will_die]

Is there another planet, space body, orbital object that has phone collection? Unless there is it is not a legitimate question :)

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there another planet, space body, orbital object that has phone collection? Unless there is it is not a legitimate question :)

The caller?

Re:

[rossdee]

"Are you sure the ISS has a single phone line?"

The ISS doesn't have a phone 'line'

Re:

[wonkey_monkey]

Is there another planet, space body, orbital object that has phone collection?

I can't definitively answer that in the negative. Can you?

Re:

[MichaelSmith]

The Chinese have an orbiting habitat. Not quite a space station, but it might be routable for phone conversations.

Re:

[plover]

"Hello, OnStar? I'm looking for nearby Chinese take out. Can you let me know the nearest restaurant, thanks!"

Re:

[Irate Engineer]

First time that "Is this planet earth" is a legitimate question and it is answered incorrectly.

Aliens: "Excuse me, is this planet Earth?"

Old Lady: "You again! Bugger off!" *CLICK*

Aliens: "Hang up on me, will you? Power up the demolition beam!"

Re:

[Tablizer]

2070: "High, I'm calling from Uranus..."

*CLICK*
   

Re:

[Tablizer]

Oops, should be "Hi". They may think you are high.

Re:

[EdwardFurlong]

It is probably still routed, but maybe just in such an interface way that it allows them to "dial" and be connected with no physical switch operator. To the people sating "is this earth?" who else would it be... get a sense of humor, do you think they do not know they are calling earth??? Maybe is is funny when you get a phone call from your dad or husband in space. But yeah, it is not news, if he kept his mouth shut nobody would know, who cares, nobody blackhatrevrsekickedhackedback the number. Unless this

Seems reasonable

[Coisiche]

From the summary:

'...I thought it was someone looking to go to a nightclub called Planet Earth.' Mrs Barker

The article doesn't actually say where she is but there is a nightclub called Planet Earth in Edinburgh, UK.

Can you call a planet OTHER than Earth?

[skaag]

I'm not sure I understand why the astronaut had to ask if he reached Planet Earth.
What other planet was he expecting to reach?