British astronaut Tim Peake has settled into a new home at the International Space Station (ISS). Peake, a former Army aviator and helicopter test pilot, is the first British astronaut to represent the European Space Agency (ESA) aboard the ISS. He arrived at the space station on Tuesday after blasting off on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Mr. Peake is among six astronauts living and working in space.
Scott Kelly welcomes him
US astronaut and station commander Scott Kelly welcomed him with a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich. Then an excited Peake took to Twitter to apologize to Sir Elton John for being late by a couple of days in replying to the singer-songwriter’s good luck message. As the mission prepared for launch on Tuesday, Sir Elton John sent him a message “from one rocket man to another.” But Peake was already inside the spacecraft, and unable to use his phone.
Thank you! Sorry for late reply. Was already in spacecraft when your message came in (zero hour 9 am). #spacerocks https://t.co/Dr9QHl4u7R
— Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) December 17, 2015
Major Peake had received millions of messages from well-wishers across the globe. The Buckingham Palace’s official Twitter account had also posted a good luck letter from the Queen. She hoped that the astronaut’s achievement will inspire the future generations of engineers and scientists. Peake said he was “honored” to receive the letter from the Queen.
Thank you, Your Majesty. I am honoured that you were watching, Ma'am. #Principia @BritishMonarchy https://t.co/Yg5zZS4rQy
— Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) December 17, 2015
Tim Peake will serve like a lab rat
Tim Peake also shared his experience on the microblogging site, describing life onboard the station, and views of Earth. Later Friday, he will speak to the press via a live link to the European Astronaut Center in Germany. Today he will also be participating in a Canadian experiment to study the effects of radiation on bone marrow. During his six-month long stay, Peake will be working on a range of experiments that involve the state of weightlessness.
Over the next six months, Tim’s body will be monitored in great detail, 23 sets of routine measurements in all. These studies will help researchers understand the effect of the long-term stay in space. It is an essential part of sending humans to deep space missions that may take months or years. NASA aims to send humans to Mars in 2030s.
