Watch synchronised zero-gravity somersault Christmas greeting from the International Space Station

When trying to phone his wife, Major Peake heard a woman answer so asked: “Hello, is that planet Earth?”

Flight engineer Tim Peake of the European Space Agency is joined by Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly and flight engineer Tim Kopra, both of NASA, in giving their thoughts on being in space during the holidays.

The first Briton in space was Helen Sharman, who traveled on a Soviet spacecraft for eight days in 1991.

Tim Peake will get straight into challenging work on the ISS but will also have the best time.

A Russian cargo resupply spaceship arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) carrying more than 2000kg of food, supplies and fuel.

But the bright light that could be seen crossing the sky after sunset on Christmas Day is the International Space Station, soaring 400km over the French-Spanish border.

According to Virtual Astronomer, this year the ISS will pass over the United Kingdom in the late afternoon, rising in the west at 4.42pm, passing low in the sky and setting in the south east at 4.50pm.

From southern England, it was due appear in the West at about 3.24am (AEDT) and remain visible for six minutes before disappearing below the southeastern horizon.

Tim Peake or Father Christmas?

“He will be with us around the Christmas festive table as a giant cardboard cut-out which the people in the village very kindly made for the celebration party they had on launch day”, he said.