FORMER Cranbrook schoolboy Piers Sellers was today waking up in space for the first time as the crew of the shuttle Atlantis began its journey to the international space station.

Mr Sellers became only the third British-born person to go into orbit after the delayed shuttle launch from Florida finally went ahead.

Mr Sellers, 47, joined five other astronauts on the 11-day Nasa mission - part of a project to attach a 350ft truss to the structure.

Weather permitting, his family in the Britain should be able to catch a brief glimpse of the station after Atlantis docks later this week.