British astronaut Tim Peake weighs in on weightlessness
A week after three crew members landed back on Earth after their 141-day shift on the International Space Station (ISS), including NASA鈥檚 Kjell Lindgren, three new astronauts took their place.
American astronaut Timothy Kopra, Russia's Yuri Malenchenko, and England鈥檚 Tim Peake were ferried by a Soyuz spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory on Wednesday. They will join American astronaut Scott Kelly, who in March will become the the first American to spend an uninterrupted year on the ISS, and crewmates Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov of Russia.
鈥淗i From #ISS,鈥� , a former helicopter pilot, on December 16. He鈥檚 the first British astronaut on the space station, though he currently works for the European Space Agency in Cologne, Germany. 鈥淲hat an incredible ride to space yesterday; Soyuz felt so smooth and powerful,鈥� he continued.
In a press conference with journalists on Friday that was , the exuberant Mr. Peake said the most unexpected thing during his first couple of days aboard the ISS has been 鈥渢he blackness of space.鈥�
鈥淲e always talk about seeing the view of planet Earth and how beautiful it is,鈥� Peake said as he floated in the station. 鈥淏ut what people don鈥檛 mention as much is that when you look in the opposite direction and you see how dark it is ... I mean, it鈥檚 the blackest black.鈥�
During the live event Peak was peppered with the questions that naturally arise about life in outer space: How do you shower? (with wet flannels rags); How do you feel? (first 24 hours were rough, but the body has quickly adapted); What is the feeling of zero gravity? (like your first time skiing); Are you still in love with science? (yes); Does tea taste different in space? (it鈥檚 surprisingly good).
Peake is on a six-month mission called Principia, for which he鈥檚 trained six years, says the ESA. While in space, he that include growing crystals and blood vessels, simulating atomic structures, and tracking how the brain adapts to stressful situations.
The space lab, which travels at a speed of five miles per second, , has hosted astronauts from 83 countries since November 2000, all doing research on Earth and space science, biology, human physiology, physical sciences, and technology to address the challenges explorers from Earth may face as they prepare to travel to Mars and beyond.
The latest crop of space station residents has received many messages of support from their home countries. Some of England鈥檚 most famous residents, like Elton John and Queen Elizabeth, have taken to social media to offer support to their astronaut.
