Space and time

During the 20 years that have passed since the first European boarded the International Space Station, ESA’s member states have enjoyed numerous highlights and achievements.

In December 2015, ESA astronaut Tim Peake made history by becoming the first British person to make the trip to the Station.

As part of the six-month Principia mission, he performed more than 30 science experiments for ESA, and took part in a dozen research activities for the other Station partners.

In this photo, Tim can be seen holding a sensor that was used to measure vibrations in ESA’s Columbus laboratory to prepare for one of the most sensitive atomic clocks in the world.

He commented on his Flickr account: “I like an accurate watch – this sensor will help our atomic clock be accurate to 1 second in 300 million years… now that’s precise.”