Sussex's first astronaut is blasting back into orbit, the American space agency Nasa announced today.

Piers Sellers, 47, from Crowborough, will again join five crew members on board a space shuttle destined for the international space station.

The mission, pencilled in for early 2004, will continue building the space station.

A Nasa spokeswoman said details of the expedition would be finalised over the next 15 months.

Piers returned to Earth in October after going into orbit on board the space shuttle Atlantis.

It is thought Piers, who now lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife Mandy and two children, will carry out more walks during his new mission.