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| Astronaut Tim Peake lands back on Earth – watch live stream | |
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| The British astronaut Tim Peake has landed back on Earth after six months in space, touching down in Kazakhstan at the end of a seven-hour return journey from the International Space Station. | |
| Peake’s Soyuz capsule completed its de-orbit to enter the Earth’s atmosphere at around 10am UK time on Saturday and it landed by parachute shortly afterwards. | |
| Related: Tim Peake's time in space is drawing to a close, but he'll remain a star | Related: Tim Peake's time in space is drawing to a close, but he'll remain a star |
| Since December the 44-year-old former helicopter test pilot has taken part in more than 250 experiments, performed a spacewalk, run the London Marathon on a treadmill and inspired more than 1 million schoolchildren, earning him an honour from the Queen for “extraordinary service beyond our planet”. | |
| The capsule carrying Peake, the Nasa astronaut Col Tim Kopra, and the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, landed in a remote spot on the vast Kazakhastan steppe at 10.15am UK time, Nasa confirmed. | |
| But first the Soyuz made a scorching, and at times rough ride through the atmosphere, with temperatures outside reaching more than 1,600 degrees celsius. | |
| Related: Astronaut Tim Peake's stunning photos of the Earth – interactive map | Related: Astronaut Tim Peake's stunning photos of the Earth – interactive map |
| The British astronaut Helen Sharman said Peake’s body would need to be prepared. “To multiply your weight by five, it’s very heavy, so just breathing will be more laboured and difficult for him, but he’ll have done this in a centrifuge, we know that he’s strong and fit, as they all are in this crew; he knows what to expect,” she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. | The British astronaut Helen Sharman said Peake’s body would need to be prepared. “To multiply your weight by five, it’s very heavy, so just breathing will be more laboured and difficult for him, but he’ll have done this in a centrifuge, we know that he’s strong and fit, as they all are in this crew; he knows what to expect,” she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. |
| Sharman said she didn’t think Peake would be scared . “You know this even before you launch into space, but I think once you’ve made the decision to go, you know that you want to come back, and there is no way around it. This is the only way back and so it’s not a thought of: ‘Shall I do it or not?’. He’s on his craft, he’s on his way back, and he’s got to make sure that he does what he needs to do and just gets back as safely as possible.” | Sharman said she didn’t think Peake would be scared . “You know this even before you launch into space, but I think once you’ve made the decision to go, you know that you want to come back, and there is no way around it. This is the only way back and so it’s not a thought of: ‘Shall I do it or not?’. He’s on his craft, he’s on his way back, and he’s got to make sure that he does what he needs to do and just gets back as safely as possible.” |
| Soon after 3am UK time, the three men climbed from the ISS into the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft that took them into orbit on 15 December. | Soon after 3am UK time, the three men climbed from the ISS into the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft that took them into orbit on 15 December. |
| Closing the hatch between the station and the spacecraft 34 minutes later marked the official end of ISS expedition 47 and Peake’s Principia mission. | Closing the hatch between the station and the spacecraft 34 minutes later marked the official end of ISS expedition 47 and Peake’s Principia mission. |
| Docking latches were undone several hours before the Soyuz was pushed away by springs, which then fired two rocket bursts to put it at a safe distance from the space station before beginning the main part of its descent. | Docking latches were undone several hours before the Soyuz was pushed away by springs, which then fired two rocket bursts to put it at a safe distance from the space station before beginning the main part of its descent. |
| Only the middle section of a Soyuz, the descent module, completes the trip to Earth intact, with passengers sitting side by side in shock-absorbing seats. The rest is discarded and burns up in the atmosphere. | Only the middle section of a Soyuz, the descent module, completes the trip to Earth intact, with passengers sitting side by side in shock-absorbing seats. The rest is discarded and burns up in the atmosphere. |
| Friction on the spacecraft’s heat shield will slow its speed from 17,398 mph to 514 mph and raise the outside temperature to 1,600C. The rapid deceleration will push the crew back into their seats with a force of around 5g – five times the force of Earth’s gravity. | Friction on the spacecraft’s heat shield will slow its speed from 17,398 mph to 514 mph and raise the outside temperature to 1,600C. The rapid deceleration will push the crew back into their seats with a force of around 5g – five times the force of Earth’s gravity. |
| The Nasa astronaut Doug Wheelock has described the experience of a Soyuz descent as “like going over Niagara falls in a barrel, but the barrel is on fire”. | The Nasa astronaut Doug Wheelock has described the experience of a Soyuz descent as “like going over Niagara falls in a barrel, but the barrel is on fire”. |
| Peake was the first British astronaut to be sent to the ISS by the European Space Agency. His mission was named Principia after Sir Isaac Newton’s landmark work describing the laws of motion and gravity, and its main purpose was to contribute to scientific knowledge by conducting experiments in zero gravity. | Peake was the first British astronaut to be sent to the ISS by the European Space Agency. His mission was named Principia after Sir Isaac Newton’s landmark work describing the laws of motion and gravity, and its main purpose was to contribute to scientific knowledge by conducting experiments in zero gravity. |
| But Peake did much more than that as he constantly kept in touch with the world on Twitter, took part in video-linked Q&A sessions, and engaged in educational activities with schoolchildren. | But Peake did much more than that as he constantly kept in touch with the world on Twitter, took part in video-linked Q&A sessions, and engaged in educational activities with schoolchildren. |
| In preparation for Saturday’s undocking, the crew donned their Sokul space suits, took their positions in the module, and carried out final air leak and communication tests.After separation, video footage from the space station showed the distant Soyuz appearing to be heading for the moon. | In preparation for Saturday’s undocking, the crew donned their Sokul space suits, took their positions in the module, and carried out final air leak and communication tests.After separation, video footage from the space station showed the distant Soyuz appearing to be heading for the moon. |
| If all goes according to plan, the return to Earth will be controlled automatically by the craft’s computer. In an emergency, the crew, led by Malenchenko, can alter their trajectory with a hand controller. | If all goes according to plan, the return to Earth will be controlled automatically by the craft’s computer. In an emergency, the crew, led by Malenchenko, can alter their trajectory with a hand controller. |
| A critical moment will come at about 9.20am UK time, when the rocket motor fires for 4 minutes and 45 seconds to put the Soyuz on a trajectory that will take it out of orbit. If the “de-orbit burn” is too short the astronauts could skip across the atmosphere like a stone skimming a lake and fly back out into space. If it is too long, they could come in at too steep an angle, too fast, and risk being incinerated. | A critical moment will come at about 9.20am UK time, when the rocket motor fires for 4 minutes and 45 seconds to put the Soyuz on a trajectory that will take it out of orbit. If the “de-orbit burn” is too short the astronauts could skip across the atmosphere like a stone skimming a lake and fly back out into space. If it is too long, they could come in at too steep an angle, too fast, and risk being incinerated. |
| Then, half an hour before landing and at an altitude of 87 miles, explosive bolts will fire, splitting the Soyuz into three parts. | Then, half an hour before landing and at an altitude of 87 miles, explosive bolts will fire, splitting the Soyuz into three parts. |
| The descent module containing the crew will turn so its heat shield is pointing in the direction of re-entry. The other two sections, the service module containing propellant and control systems, and the spherical orbital module that housed the crew during their launch, will plunge into the atmosphere and burn up. | The descent module containing the crew will turn so its heat shield is pointing in the direction of re-entry. The other two sections, the service module containing propellant and control systems, and the spherical orbital module that housed the crew during their launch, will plunge into the atmosphere and burn up. |
| Sharman said Peake just had to try to enjoy the trip. “It is really just a ride, the commander’s got the controls if necessary, but it should all happen automatically pretty much, they’ve got to fire the engine to deburn, but even that should be a fairly automatic process.” | Sharman said Peake just had to try to enjoy the trip. “It is really just a ride, the commander’s got the controls if necessary, but it should all happen automatically pretty much, they’ve got to fire the engine to deburn, but even that should be a fairly automatic process.” |
| Fifteen minutes before landing, four parachutes will be deployed in succession. One second before touchdown, retro rockets will fire and the spacecraft will hit the ground at 3mph. Recovery crews will help the space travellers out of their capsule and take them for medical checks. | Fifteen minutes before landing, four parachutes will be deployed in succession. One second before touchdown, retro rockets will fire and the spacecraft will hit the ground at 3mph. Recovery crews will help the space travellers out of their capsule and take them for medical checks. |
| They will be helicoptered to Karaganda airport where, according to tradition, they will be offered bread and salt and a traditional Kazakh hat. Peake will then be flown to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, while his US and Russian colleagues go to Houston and Star City, near Moscow. | They will be helicoptered to Karaganda airport where, according to tradition, they will be offered bread and salt and a traditional Kazakh hat. Peake will then be flown to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, while his US and Russian colleagues go to Houston and Star City, near Moscow. |
| Sharman said events would unfold continually for Peake once he landed. “It will be a medical debriefing immediately, and then possibly some quick technical debriefings in case there’s anything really urgent they need to pass on, but then all of this business of getting back to Cologne this evening to meet his family again, it’s this gradual adjustment, but for him it will be a continued debriefing … more medical studies on his body and press conferences galore, and then he will be back in the UK telling us his stories and passing on information about what he’s been doing out there.” | Sharman said events would unfold continually for Peake once he landed. “It will be a medical debriefing immediately, and then possibly some quick technical debriefings in case there’s anything really urgent they need to pass on, but then all of this business of getting back to Cologne this evening to meet his family again, it’s this gradual adjustment, but for him it will be a continued debriefing … more medical studies on his body and press conferences galore, and then he will be back in the UK telling us his stories and passing on information about what he’s been doing out there.” |
| During his time in space Peake worked up to 14 hours a day, participating in more than 250 experiments devised by scientists from around the world. | During his time in space Peake worked up to 14 hours a day, participating in more than 250 experiments devised by scientists from around the world. |
| He was the first person to be honoured while in space, being made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for “extraordinary service beyond our planet”. Speaking from the ISS in January, he said he was looking forward to private time with his family, fresh air, and the feeling of rain on his face. | He was the first person to be honoured while in space, being made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for “extraordinary service beyond our planet”. Speaking from the ISS in January, he said he was looking forward to private time with his family, fresh air, and the feeling of rain on his face. |