British astronaut dials wrong number from space

Credit: Dmitry Lovetsky / AP

Credit: Dmitry Lovetsky / AP

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It's usually "Earth to Mars" calls that get placed, but recently it was the other way around.

British astronaut Tim Peake, the first British European Space Agency astronaut, phoned home on Thursday to wish someone a Merry Christmas but dialed a wrong number.

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He sent out an apology on Twitter, saying, "I'd like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying 'Hello, is this planet Earth?' - not a prank call...just a wrong number!"

The 43-year-old didn't say who he was trying to reach or what carrier he was using.
Peake's time in the space station is being spent researching how the body reacts in space and trying out a tea-making process in zero gravity, according to The Associated Press.
He is expected to fly over London at some point during Christmas Day. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.