Tim Peake’s guide to life in space

Tim Peake calls his parents from the International Space Station – but they were out, so he leaves a message on their answerphone instead. “My job is to help them get out and back safely”.

“That is taking a lot of time to unpack that. The very least I could do was make sure he had a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie [sandwich]”.

An unexpected spacewalk has been scheduled for next week after a rail vehicle got stuck. And you realize just how small the earth is in that blackness.

United Kingdom astronaut Tim Peake has given a news conference from the International Space Station. “That was a real surprise to me”.

From Westbourne, near Chichester in West Sussex, the UK’s first professional British astronaut said the most unexpected thing about the experience so far had been “the blackness of space”. “Boy, that tasted good”, he wrote. Danish engineer and astronaut, Dr. Andreas Mogensen, completed a busy 10-day tour in September, and Italian Air Force pilot, engineer and astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti, ended her record-breaking 199-day mission in June.

Cadets and Agents celebrate patron Tim Peak’s mission to the International Space Station during the first phase of the Astro Science Challenge.

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

He has also received messages of support from the Queen and Sir Elton John.

“It is a huge honour to receive that and I am so glad that so many people across the United Kingdom have been enthused by this mission, and certainly I am so glad that so numerous children have enjoyed it”.

A start time for the spacewalk has not yet been set, but NASA Television coverage will begin 90 minutes prior to the start of the excursion, which will be conducted out of the U.S. Quest airlock.

The lines might be out the door, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens is playing just about everywhere on planet Earth this week. “What a place to watch it!”