BEFORE Tim Peake could become an astronaut and travel 240 miles above the Earth’s surface to the International Space Station, he had to pass some tough tests.

The Chichester-based astronaut has revealed in a new book the kind of training exercises the European Space Agency puts candidates through.

Some are easy but others are fiendishly hard.

The Astronaut Selection Test Book: Do You Have What It Takes? challenges readers to try 100 real tests that would be astronauts must undertake.

These include visual memory and perception puzzles, concentration tests, maths and mental arithmetic problems, psychological quizzes, teamwork and leadership exercises, survival skills, physical and medical exams, foreign language aptitude tests (European Space Agency astronauts must learn Russian) and much more.

The illustrated book draws on Peake’s first-hand experiences of applying to the European Space Agency, Europe’s gateway to space with 22 member states, to be an astronaut in 2008.

He was eventually selected with just five other astronauts from more than 8,000 applications.

It was in December 2015 that Peake, who attended Chichester High School for Boys, became one of 222 people to have visited the International Space Station, the largest spacecraft ever built whose construction has been ongoing for two decades.

It orbits the Earth’s surface 240 miles above it and on a clear day is visible to the naked eye from the ground.

Peake, the first official British astronaut, finished his 186-day Principia mission working on the International Space Station for Expedition 46/47 when he landed back on Earth in June 2016.

The former Army Air Corps officer was the first official British astronaut and is now working with the UK Space Agency in developing its microgravity research programme.

He kept the nation mesmerised with his activities during his visit to the International Space Station, including “running the London Marathon” on a treadmill.

He has previously published two books, the Sunday Times bestseller Hello, Is This Planet Earth? and Ask An Astronaut.

Have you got what it takes to be an astronaut?

The book, published by Cornerstone, is on sale now.