A Soyuz spacecraft carrying a three-man crew parachuted to the flat grasslands of Kazakhstan on Saturday, returning home from the International Space Station with cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and British flight engineer Tim Peake.
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He said it was an exciting ride back to Earth.
Peake spent six months on the ISS, where relieving oneself involves the use of suction hoses to separate waste from the body.
Major Peake said: “I’m so thrilled so many children joined in this mission, I have loved every single bit of it”.
Speaking at his first press conference since leaving the International Space Station (ISS) and landing in Kazakhstan on Saturday, Major Peake revealed how he had watched the clock as he waited in the tiny Soyuz capsule for the deployment of the module’s huge main parachute – vital for a survivable landing. But I did not feel it, it was very gentle.
Asked if he would like to return to space, he said: “I would do it again in a heartbeat”.
According to the now-experienced astronaut, during the ride “you’ve got two minds”.
“It’s great being sat next to the window because you’re able to look out …”
“I’ve just got back from a six-month mission to space, so my message to them is: “Look, don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do anything”.
While Peake is already dreaming of his next trip to space, for now he plans to enjoy the simple pleasures of Earth.
Williams is expected to continue living and working on the Space Station until September, when he and two other crew members are scheduled to fly back to Earth. The ESA astronaut safely returned to Earth last week, and now faces weeks of tests and medical checks to recuperate from the effects of long-term space travel.
“Of course, I’d like to put the family first now for a while and life is all about having a balance, and as a father and a husband, the balance now is to have some family time”, he said.
The first Briton in space was Helen Sharman, who travelled on a Soviet spacecraft for eight days in 1991.
“And really I’m delighted they got involved and I hope it encourages them to explore space further”.
The Space Station, which speeds through its orbit at more than 17,000 miles per hour, actually experiences about 16 sunrises and sunsets per day. “You’re in a new environment where you’re so well supported, you’re very aware that you’re doing absolutely cutting edge technology”.
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Major Peake said it was “extremely important” that the United Kingdom continued to play a role.
