On the 18th June Tim Peake, along with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko returned to Earth after their six month stay on the International Space Station (ISS).
Tim’s mission was called Principia, after Isaac Newton’s text
on physics, Naturalis Principia Mathematica, describing the principal laws of motion
and gravity. The mission involved lots of scientific experiments, such as
continuing an Airway Monitoring experiment, driving a rover in preparation for ESA missions
to Mars, and the ESA–RoscosmosPlasma Kristall-4
experiment, which is helping scientists understand how atoms interact with
each other.
Through the Principia mission, Tim has inspired students of all ages to get involved with science, engineering, technology, and maths. This led to a large number of experiments and competitions across the UK. Tim also participated in the London Marathon during his time on the ISS. To see more of Tim’s activities have a look at his blog. To learn more about the ISS and the work carried out aboard, check out its' blog. The next scheduled mission to the ISS launches on 6th July and will be available to watch on NASA TV.
Tim Peake’s return wasn’t the only space
event this week. This year's Summer Solstice saw the first ‘Strawberry Moon’ since
1967. The name was given to this type of full moon by early Native
Americans as its appearance coincided with the beginning of their strawberry
season in June. Other significant events coming up include the arrival of
NASA’s Juno spacecraft at Jupiter on 4th July
and the DeltaAquarids Meteor Shower between
28th and 29th July.
To find out more about the Solar System, space technology and
exploration and what it’s like to live on the ISS, visit the Library where
books can now be borrowed until September.