THAT WAS THE RIDE OF MY LIFE Major Tim after 17,000mph return to Earth
ASTRONAUT Tim Peake hurtled through space at 17,000mph before touching down on Earth yesterday and proclaiming: “It’s the best ride I’ve ever been on.”
The descent from the International Space Station 250-miles completed a sixmonth mission which has captured the imagination of a nation.
Still dressed in his spacesuit and sitting by the scorched Soyuz spacecraft, the first British man to walk in space said: “It was incredible. The best ride I’ve been on ever. Truly amazing. A life-changing experience.
“The smell on Earth is really strong. Looking forward to seeing the family. I’m going to miss the view, definitely. I’d like some cool rain right now – it’s very hot in the suit. It’s very hot in the capsule.”
Major Tim, 44, touched down just 8km from the proposed landing site in Kazakhstan after a four-hour descent.
Recovery crews hovering in helicopters nearby watched as the pod hit the dust.
Soon afterwards, Tim inhaled fresh air for the first time in 186 days.
He was whisked away on a private M18 Russian helicopter to Karaganda, 300 miles away, where he had been due to receive a traditional Kazakh welcome, but he was reportedly feeling tired and was not able to attend the ceremony. He did however smile and wave at well- wishers as he boarded a flight to Cologne, Germany.
Tim’s father Nigel, 73, said it was “a huge relief ” as he and his wife Angela, also 73, watched their son’s homecoming from the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne.
He said: “It’s absolutely wonderful, magic. We had a perfect launch in December and to see that come down now is just magnificent.
“It’s a job well done, I’m so proud of him and what he’s achieved. I’m very grateful he’s had the opportunity.” Dad-oftwo Tim and his crewmates, American Timothy Kopra and Russia’s Yuri Malenchenko, landed at just before e 10.15am. During their descent the e pod slowed from 17,398mph to o 514mph as it entered the atmosphere,re, pushing the astronauts back into theiri seats with a force of around 5G – five times Earth’s gravity.
Images beamed around the world showed Tim being pulled from the spacecraft before he asked for a pair of sunglasses and made a phone call to his family.
He underwent tests in a makeshift inflatable medical centre nearby, where he said: “I’m doing good. The landing’s very dynamic. It’s going to take a few days before I feel normal again.
“I’m feeling a lot of dizziness and vertigo any time I move my head. It’s to be expected – that’s normal after six months in space. It’s what everybody goes through when you come back through Earth’s atmosphere.”
He added: “Those first few steps were incredible – it’s great to be back on Earth.”
Soon afterwards Tim, originally from Chichester, was reunited with his wife R Rebecca and their sons T Thomas, seven, and O Oliver, four. On Friday, j just a few hours before the former helicopter test pilot was due to l leave space, Rebecca had tweeted: “Keep them safe.” He will now have 21 days of physical reconditioning as his body adapts back to Earth. During his mission he became the first man to complete a marathon in space.
At 3.34am yesterday, he closed the hatch between the station and the spacecraft, marking the official end of ISS Expedition 47 and his historic Principia mission.
Earlier Colonel Timothy Kopra handed over command of the space station to NASA colleague Jeff Williams – observing an old Navy tradition of ringing a bell to mark the change of watch.
Tim Peake’s space contribution earned him an honour from the Queen for “extraordinary service beyond our planet”.
And bookies at Ladbrokes last night slashed the odds of him securing a knighthood by the end of 2020 to 1-3.
days since British astronaut Tim Peake last breathed fresh air