Soyuz rocket blasts off for International Space Station

For the other two experienced astronauts they expect their journey to ISS will yield great results for the science community.

Peake himself was relaxed ahead of his first voyage into space, talking about his expectations of a festive season aboad the ISS during a pre-flight news conference at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur on Monday.

Now Tim is settled in, he will undergo 10 gruelling exercise sessions each week in a bid to maintain his strength, bones and fitness.

His exercise programme will focus on high-intensity training.

Major Peake could be identified by the Union Flag on his sleeve.

This is the picture astronaut Tim Kopra took of Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ocean Rain the last time he visited the worldwide space station.

“We’re doing an experiment on how zero gravity farts travel”.

The crew members are scheduled to receive several cargo spacecraft – including multiple USA commercial resupply vehicles from SpaceX and Orbital ATK – each delivering tonnes of food, fuel, supplies and research.

“We’ll also use this incredible weight lifting device designed by Nasa to try to maintain his muscle strength and also the strength of his bones”.

Major Peake’s wife Rebecca, who grew up in Comrie, Perthshire, and their two sons, Thomas, six and Oliver, four, watched the take off from a VIP viewing area 1.7km from the launch pad.

The astronaut also received some warm words of support from the Queen, who published a letter to Peake penned by her and Prince Phillip saying she hoped the mission would “serve as an inspiration to a new generation of scientist and engineers”.

“You do sweat a lot”.

Around a couple of hours earlier, his capsule had docked successfully with the station and safety checks were then carried out and air pressure equalised before the trio could enter. I swear one of them is doing a crossword!

The three-man crew will stay at the ISS for six months and will return on June 5, 2016.

Major Peake said: ‘I don’t think anything can truly prepare you for that moment and that will occur in the Soyuz spacecraft once we get injected into orbit. Dr Scott said, “It’s really important that Tim is prepared to exercise on board the ISS”.

“The real work really starts now”.

Colonel Timothy L Kopra spent three months aboard the International Space Station taking with him a signed copy of the Bunnymen’s 1984 classic.