Tim Peake does somersault in space during first press conference from space

Kopra, Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Tim Peake launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 6:03 a.m. (5:03 p.m.in Baikonur) and, after orbiting Earth four times, manually docked to the station at 12:33 p.m.

Major Peake is due to speak to members of the press for the first time since docking with the ISS via a live link to the European Astronaut Centre near Cologne, Germany. “It is really hard to describe”, he said, and then listed those things way beyond his expectations, including the view from the space station cupola. “What an incredible ride to space yesterday; Soyuz felt so smooth and powerful”, he continued. “Every time you turn a corner or move your head, your ears send signals to the brain that do not really match your eyes so you do feel disorientated and dizzy”.

Once up in space he quickly took to Twitter, to tell his 221,000 followers: “View of our lovely planet Earth from space is simply stunning – and “space” is so intimidatingly black…I’m captivated by it”.

Yes, he had a good night’s sleep; on his second morning he woke up fresh and had had no problems since.

As per agency officials, NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra will be going for the spacewalk outside the station to free the outpost’s Mobile transporter railcar, which suddenly stopped moving on Wednesday. Either way, there’s probably no more appropriate place to watch the latest entry in the “Star Wars” saga than surrounded by the infinite blackness of space itself, the blue ball of Earth spinning silent beneath you.

“From the schoolchildren who watched the launch in class, people watching on the underground, and viewers outside of United Kingdom, your messages have shown how much interest there is in space and they mean a great deal to me”.

He said one of the questions he gets asked the most is what the space station smells like.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh congratulated Major Peake on his arrival at the space station.

He said Peake’s voyage “has already inspired schoolchildren, and will go on to do so. Goodnight from space.” he said.

It’s the blackest black and you realise just how small the Earth is in that blackness.

Major Peake’s first spectacular photo taken in space.

Maj Peake said: “Thank you, Your Majesty”.

In April he will run the entire 26.2-mile London Marathon on a treadmill aboard the space station.