VETERAN astronaut Brian Duffy has challenged Cross Arthurlie Primary pupils to fill his spacesuit and explore the universe.

The one-time NASA commander stopped by the Barrhead school as part of a campaign designed to inspire the next generation of astronauts.

There he told the News how he hoped the youngsters would use his visit as a source of motivation in their future careers.

Although he served on four Space Shuttle missions as both a pilot and commander, Brian revealed there was a time when he thought it would never be possible.

The sense of occasion was not lost on the US Astronaut Hall of Fame inductee.

Standing in Cross Arthurlie Primary’s assembly hall, the US Astronaut Hall of Fame inductee said: “I put myself in their place and if I was in the second or third grade and I had an astronaut coming, it would’ve been very important.

“While I didn’t think I would ever become an astronaut, I was interested in it and I followed it as I grew up in high school when the moon landing happened.

“I’m here helping the Kennedy Space Centre and that’s a very educational venue for families to go to.

“I particularly like when they bring children because that’s the next generation of space explorers and we want to inspire them to study maths and science.

“In a way, I’m recruiting my replacement. I want them to be able to come and take my place.”

After becoming an astronaut in 1986, following time spent in the US Airforce, Brian clocked up almost six weeks in space before his retirement in 2000.

And while he enjoyed his trip to Barrhead, Boston-born Brian admitted few things could ever hold a candle to looking down on the planet from up above.

“Being in space is pretty exhilarating,” said the 63-year-old. “Just getting there is exciting because of all that’s going on during the launch.

“Actually being in space, it’s a very peaceful place and it’s a very beautiful place because you look back at the Earth and you get a view of it.

“We go round the Earth every 90 minutes in the Space Shuttle, so you get a chance to see the whole planet.

“I was very happy that I helped to build the International Space Station but there are lots of highlights – over four missions and I had nearly six weeks in space, so I spent a lot of time there.

“You get into a routine, just like you do down here on Earth. There’s something to do all the time, every day. It’s a regular job – a very special regular job.”

When he’s not touring around schools inspiring kids, Brian chooses to spend his days on the golf course and is part-owner of a holiday home in St Andrew’s.

Asked to share his opinion on space tourism, Brian admitted he sees it as a positive step and said: “I think it’s a good thing. It shows that people are really interested in the space programme, flying in space and the experience.

“The product might be a space hotel. Eventually we’ll be flying people to a hotel on the moon.”