A ROBOTICS expert from the North-East really will be over the moon when he realises the dream of a lifetime.

Dr Nicholas Patrick, born in Saltburn, east Cleveland, will become only the fourth Briton to go into outer space when he blasts off in the space shuttle Discovery from the Kennedy Space Centre, in Florida, next week.

His mission is to rewire the electrical systems of the International Space Station.

The 42-year-old explained how the flight will be the realisation of a dream that was born as he watched television as a child in Saltburn.

"When I was five, I saw the Apollo 11 moon landing, and that really, really caught my imagination.

"I remember exactly where I was - watching it with my parents. From that point on, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut.

"There were many other things I wanted to be as a child - an archaeologist, a boat designer, all sorts of things. But that's the one interest that's really stuck with me through my childhood and through my subsequent education and career."

Dr Patrick who became a father again two months ago when his second son, Cameron, was born, gets his chance on Thursday.

His wife, Rossana, a doctor, and their two other children, aged three and four, will be at the Cape Canaveral space centre to watch the launch, with Dr Patrick's parents, Stewart and Gillian who, like their son, now live in the US.

The astronaut and his six crew mates are spending the days before the launch in quarantine to avoid illness.

"I'm going into quarantine to catch up on some sleep," he joked.

Dr Patrick, who became a US citizen in 1994, was cleared for launch next week, as Nasa gave final approval for its most complex shuttle mission in years - to expand the International Space Station and rewire its electrical systems.

Dr Patrick says he can hardly wait to get into space. The Apollo 11 left an impression that has lasted a lifetime.

He said: "I think I was amazed that anybody could be that far away, wondering whether they'd all come back safely. But the amazing thing about that was that they had just done it, and maybe this meant that we would all be going to the moon someday soon - and I wanted to be a part of that.

"I was relieved to have been selected, excited to be part of a crew. I was optimistic about the kinds of jobs I would get to do and a little worried about how much work there was ahead of me. And a mix, a huge mix of emotions. But mostly, I was just very happy, and grateful to have been selected.

"The real key is to find the things you love and pursue those, and your interests will carry you," is his advice to any aspiring spacemen or women.

Thursday's $450m (£230m) mission will be the first time that Nasa has gone for a night-time shuttle launch since before the Columbia disaster in 2003, when seven astronauts died in re-entry after debris gouged a hole in their spacecraft during lift-off.

The need is to get Discovery back before midnight on New Year's Eve, because its computers will be thrown into confusion by changes in the calendar year. This problem prompted Nasa to lift its ban on blasting off in the dark.

Dr Patrick, who was designing jet engines and cockpits in the States, before being recruited by NASA, loves flying.

He has logged over 1,900 hours as a pilot in more than 20 types of airplane and helicopter, including over 800 hours as a flight instructor in the Boston, Seattle, and Houston areas. He started training as an astronaut in 1998.