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Banbury pupils watch Tim Peak mission blast off into space

A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying a three-man worldwide crew, including Britain’s first official astronaut, Tim Peake, blasted off on Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

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NASA flight engineer Timothy Kopra and European Space Agency engineer Timothy Peake, the first British astronaut, accompany Malenchenko as part of the new expedition.


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Major Tim Peake is embarking on a six-month stint on the ISS, leaving Earth on a Russian Soyuz rocket.

The crew is scheduled to dock to the station at 12:24 p.m. after the six-hour journey.

The actual “first Briton in space” – Helen Sharman – has advised Peake to “look out of the window occasionally”, as the views of Earth from orbit “will be something that will stay with him for the rest of his life”, according to the Independent.

Fire from the boosters of the Soyuz rocket cut a bright light through the overcast sky at the Moscow-operated cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as the spacecraft launched on schedule at 1103 GMT.

What you may not know is that the ISS will be visible to all of the United Kingdom (clouds permitting) before docking, from 5.14pm for three to four minutes, and again later for most of the country at 6.50pm for around a minute, when the space station comes round again.

It was the first time a crew has landed after sunset and only the sixth night-time Soyuz return from the worldwide space station.

About two and a half hours later, the crew left their capsule, and walked on board the ISS where he met with fellow astronauts.

The 43-year-old astronaut set off at 11.03GMT and was watched by his wife Rebecca and sons Thomas and Oliver. We also got the benefit of a moon rise which was handsome to see.

NASA also said the three astronauts will deal with up to five supply missions, at least one spacewalk and station repairs.

“The exercise programme – if me or you were to do it here on Earth – would get us very fit”, Dr Scott added.

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A Soyuz space craft has successfully docked with the International Space Station.

3 crew members en route to the International Space Station