A historic day for Britain

At a press conference on 6 November, Tim Peake, ESA’s first British astronaut, was joined by Thomas Reiter, ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations, Jo Johnson, UK Minister of State for Universities and Science, and David Parker, CEO of the UK Space Agency, at the Science Museum in London. 

During the press conference, Tim talked about his training, and the science and education objectives of his mission. While in space, Tim will perform more than 30 experiments for ESA and its Member States and take part in numerous others from ESA’s international partners.

Tim added: “I feel privileged to be part of this incredible adventure in international cooperation. During my training in recent months I have come to learn that none of this would have been possible without the efforts of many. Although my job is a very visible one, I would like to pay a tribute to the many colleagues who are making my mission possible.

“These are now my new friends in many Member States of the European Space Agency, as well as in Canada, Japan, Russia and the US. I feel part of a big family working for science, for new technologies and for the education of our younger generation.”

ESA and the UK Space Agency are together developing many exciting educational activities aimed at sparking the interest of young children in science and space, including Rocket Science, AstroPi, Zero Robotics, Mission-X: Train like an Astronaut, and amateur radio contact in space.

Minister for Universities and Science Jo Johnson announced to an enthusiastic audience that major events have been planned in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast on 15 December and 16 smaller events at discovery and science centres across the UK to celebrate the launch.

Minister Jo Johnson said: “15 December will be a historic day for Britain. We have every reason to celebrate this country’s success in space with events and activities in every national capital. We will come together as one nation to support one of Britain’s great explorers - Tim Peake - on his mission to the International Space Station.

“As he embarks on his mission, I’m sure Tim will continue to be an excellent ambassador for all that makes the UK space sector a success and a truly inspirational role model for young people in the UK. Together, we will be a part of something incredible.”

The celebratory launch events will give more than 10 000 members of the general public the chance to take part in a variety of science and outreach activities and will air live footage of Tim’s launch and docking.

The launch events will complement the £1.5 million programme of education and outreach activities being run by the UK Space Agency to harness the inspirational power of Tim’s mission, bring the excitement of space to classrooms and venues across the country and encourage interest in STEM subjects.

Education plays a large role in Tim’s mission and it was announced that Tim will be an Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust. Tim is a great role model and will help highlight the work that the Prince’s Trust is doing to help young people acquire STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills.

Announcing his ambassadorship, Tim said: “As a young child, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut. But it was just a distant dream at that age, and it evolved into a strong passion for flying, which I was fortunate enough to pursue in my career. Since then, with fantastic support from others, the right opportunities, and a lot of hard work, I now find myself on the brink of achieving my early dreams.

“But I know I am one of the lucky ones. Thousands of disadvantaged young people in the UK need even more support from us to get the chance to follow their dreams and fulfil their potential.

“That’s why I’m proud to announce my support and ambassadorship for the Prince’s Trust. They’re an amazing organisation that helps young people succeed in life no matter their background. The young people helped by The Trust face innumerable challenges and difficulties in their daily lives, and so it’s all the more important that they get the opportunity and support to develop their abilities and realise their talents. The work of The Prince’s Trust really helps to change young lives, and I hope that their programmes set an inspiring example worldwide.”

Tim Peake’s ambassadorship will help highlight the work the Prince’s Trust is doing to help young people acquire STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills.

Tim’s mission is ESA’s eighth long-duration mission to the Space Station. It will start with a Soyuz spacecraft flight, launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 15 December. Together with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, Tim will embark on a five-and-a-half-month stay in space. His mission is named Principia, after Isaac Newton’s ground-breaking Naturalis Principia Mathematica, which describes the principal laws of motion and gravity.

Launch

Tim will launch on a Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, at 11:02 GMT on 15 December 2015. Soyuz separation is expected at 11:13 GMT, ISS rendezvous at 16:58 GMT and hatch opening at 18:33 GMT.