Not-so-final frontier: Astronaut Tim Peake to return to space
UK's first official astronaut says he 'misses the view of planet Earth'
Tim Peake: 'Moon colony is next step for space research'
30 March
A human colony on the moon is the next "great ambition" for space exploration, said astronaut Tim Peake, in his first live television interview since blasting into space in December.
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Speaking from the International Space Station (ISS), where he is halfway through a six-month mission, the former army pilot told Sky News that having people living on the moon was a vital step towards the ultimate goal of reaching Mars.
A permanent research station would allow astronauts to investigate the challenges that will face astronauts on a manned mission to the Red Planet, including radiation exposure and energy production.
Earlier this month, a joint project between the European Space Agency and Russian space agency Roscosmos successfully launched a satellite which will investigate the composition of the Martian atmosphere. The two agencies hope to land a rover on the red planet in 2018.
Nasa, meanwhile, has planned to undertake the first ever manned mission during the 2030s and is already testing its Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle, which could one day carry four astronauts to Mars.
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Peake added that a moon colony would be a valuable venture in and of itself, calling it a "wonderful place" to set up a research station.
"There's a huge amount that we've still yet to discover about the moon. It can tell us a lot of things about the origins of our own planet," he said.
"I hope that we see that as a next destination in itself and also as a stepping stone to Mars in the future."
The astronaut also discussed his day-to-day life on the ISS, where he and his colleagues work for up to 14 hours a day on a range of experiments. While his space mission is a "wonderful experience" that he is keen to repeat, Peake admitted he misses aspects of life on Earth.
"It is the fresh air and being outdoors, but also the colour green. We don't have the colour green on the Space Station," he said.
Tim Peake plays Space Invaders in space – see the video
21 March
British astronaut Tim Peake has been honing his alien-battling skills by playing a virtual reality version of Space Invaders inside the International Space Station (ISS).
A newly released video from the European Space Agency (ESA) captures Peake and his US colleague Scott Kelly, who returned to Earth at the beginning of March, having fun while in orbit last month. Wearing VR headsets, the two astronauts grin as they dodge and weave to escape their unseen Martian foes while firing back with invisible lasers.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"92535","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]The ESA added some special effects to the footage so viewers can get an idea of how the battle looked to the two players.
The technology is not just for fun, however. It is part of a new augmented-reality project designed to assist astronauts and improve their communication with mission control.
Peake and Kelly found plenty of unusual ways to keep themselves occupied during their downtime on the ISS. A video posted on Twitter last month showed Kelly wearing a gorilla costume as he engaged in a zero-gravity chase with Peake.
Peake has also found another way to keep busy using technology – training to run in a digital version of the London Marathon. On 24 April, he will join the thousands of amateur and professional runners for four miles of the slog around the capital, using the RunSocial app that lets runners put themselves in a virtual reality world.
Astronaut Tim Peake shares incredible view of lightning strikes on Earth – video
10 February
British astronaut Tim Peake has shared a stunning timelapse video showing lightning hitting the Earth - as seen from 248 miles above the planet.
"Amazing how much lightning can strike our planet in a short time," the 43-year-old former army pilot tweeted from inside the International Space Station (ISS).
The 30-second clip, condensed from a ten-minute journey, shows the view as the astronaut passes over Turkey, on a trajectory towards Russia, with dozens of dazzling flashes spring up across the sky. It's been retweeted more than 4,500 times since being posted on Tuesday.
Peake is stationed on the ISS as part of the six-month Principia mission, during which he will participate in 265 experiments in the orbiting spacecraft's laboratory. He will also be using his 176 days in orbit to inspire and educate, holding video-link sessions with schoolchildren and sharing tweets and videos about daily life on the space station.
Videos uploaded to YouTube so far show include the astronaut explaining how to make a cup of coffee in space - and how to use a zero-gravity toilet.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"90657","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
Who is Major Tim Peake and why is he in space?
15 January
Major Tim Peake has made history by becoming the first official British astronaut to walk in space.
Soaring roughly 250 miles above Australia, he stepped off the International Space Station alongside Nasa colleague Colonel Tim Kopra to restore a solar power unit.
Speaking from mission control in Houston, a Nasa employee said: "Tim, it's really cool to see that Union flag go out. It's explored all over the world; now it's explored space."
"It's great to be wearing it. A real privilege," Peake replied.
Prime Minister David Cameron was among those sending support and encouragement to the 43-year old Chichester-born astronaut. "The country will be watching you make history," he said.
Today's operation is expected to last almost six and a half hours as the astronauts attempt to fix a component regulating power from the station's solar panels.
"All of this is taking place at 17,500mph," says The Guardian's Ian Sample. "You need to go that fast - at this altitude - to remain in orbit.”
He adds: "Peake and Kopra are not floating around because they are beyond the pull of gravity. They seem weightless because they are constantly falling around the planet."
Astronaut Reid Wiseman, who has completed similar operations himself, will guide the pair from Houston, says the BBC. He reported that everything was going according to plan and ahead of schedule.
Part of the Principia mission, Peake is on the ISS for six months, carrying out a variety of experiments on the orbiting laboratory.
The former Army helicopter pilot is the first official UK astronaut, having been chosen by the European Space Agency. Although other Britons have gone into space, they have either had US citizenship or been funded by Nasa or private enterprise.
But what more do we know about Britain's newest space recruit and his cosmological expedition?
Who is Major Tim Peake?
He is a former Army aviator and helicopter test pilot who has "notched up over 3,000 flying hours and has flown more than 30 different types of aircraft", says the Daily Mirror. Following his retirement from active service with the British military, Peake was selected to be an astronaut by the European Space Agency in 2009. He told the Daily Telegraph last year that he was "elated" to be selected from a pool of 8,000 applicants to join the European Astronaut Corps. He also holds the honour of being the first professional astronaut who is fully British, with all the previous British citizens in space holding dual nationality or having been on privately funded trips.
When was the big launch?
The 43-year-old took off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 11.03am (GMT) today alongside Nasa astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko, the other two crew members manning the Principia mission. Malenchenko is one of the most experienced cosmonauts in the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) programme, reports the BBC. While US Army colonel Kopra has flown into space once before, Major Peake has never before made the journey into space. Peake also took part in a special ritual for all astronauts who leave from the Baikonur Cosmodrome: he sat down and watched the 1970 Soviet western film: White Sun of the Desert.
Why's he going?
During his time aboard the ISS, The Independent reports that Major Peake will participate in 265 experiments, and observe the effects of microgravity on his own body. "I'm very excited about the physiological experiments on the effects of microgravity on the body, for instance looking at vision, the immune system, changes in bone structure, and asthma," Peake said. The mission, called 'Principia', after Isaac Newton's seminal work on gravity and motion, represents an "about-turn in the UK government's attitude to manned space flight", says the Independent. "For decades Britain has refused to have anything to do with human missions, preferring to focus on satellites and robot probes." The mission will last six months and feature 173 days in orbit for Major Peake