Apollo Astronaut Michael Collins may have beaten him to space, but natural born Dubliner Bob Geldof is in line to become the first native born Irishman in space and he wants the world to know it.

The Live Aid organiser flew the flag for Ireland proudly presenting the tricolour on his left arm to the press after yesterday’s training exercise in the Desdemona flight simulator in Soesterberg, central Netherlands.

The 62-year-old former Boomtown Rats singer will be a passenger in a Lynx Mark II shuttle powered by four rocket engines that is set to go into space next year.

The commercial space flight will last one-hour and is being organised by private company Space XC.

Geldof told the Irish Independent that he would be happy to wear the tricolour.

'I am not nationalistic but I am proud of being Irish. I will be proud of being the first Irishman to leave the planet,' he said.

The Dubliner revealed that he won't be singing the Irish national anthem in space though because revealed that he doesn't know the words.