Sussex-born spaceman Piers Sellers will be chatting with royalty today as he prepares for a mission.

Dr Sellers, who due to go to the International Space Station, will speak to the Queen on a live link-up from NASA's HQ in Houston, Texas.

The call home will be one of the highlights of a ceremony to mark the opening of the National Space Centre in Leicester.

It will be a welcome breather for Crowborough-born astronaut Dr Sellers, who is getting into shape for an attempt on a world-record duration space walk to carry out vital assembly work on the exterior of the space station.

The 46-year-old, who went to Tytten Hangar Lodge Preparatory School in Seaford before completing a degree in ecology, achieved his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut three years ago.

Then, he was only the second Brit to be taken on by NASA as an astronaut.

He said the chinwag with the Queen was one of his few remaining ambitions after fulfilling that childhood dream.

Her Majesty will also talk to the rest of the crew of the rocket STS-112, which is due to blast off in the next few weeks.

Dr Sellers said: "We're all looking forward to talking with The Queen. We're two or three months off from launch, depending on some repair work to the Space Shuttle, and are in the final straight of training. All of us wish the space centre well with their good work."

A National Space Centre spokesman said: "The Space Centre is delighted that Her Majesty's visit coincides with the preparation of Dr Sellers' visit to the International Space Station in the autumn."

Dr Sellers now lives in Texas with his Ywife Amanda, 46, and children Imogen, 16, and Tom, 14.

He said: "It is an amazing life being an astronaut. It is what I've always wanted to do ever since I was a boy."