Heavens above: blessing for Briton’s mission
Nine minutes after blasting into space today, Major Tim Peake is anticipating a sight that has entranced all who have gone before him. The British astronaut outlines what he’s looking forward to on his historic mission
When British astronaut Tim Peake finally reaches space after six solid years of training, and a lifetime of dreaming, his first objective will be to take a look through the window.
If all goes to plan, he will blast off today from Kazakhstan and as soon as the Soyuz spacecraft moves into orbit on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) – about nine minutes after launch – he intends to get his first glimpse of Earth.
“I don’t think anything can truly prepare you for that moment,” he said. “That will occur in the Soyuz spacecraft once we get injected into orbit. I’ll be able to look out the right window and see the beautiful view of planet Earth.
“The best piece of advice I’ve been given by many astronauts and cosmonauts who’ve flown before is to make sure you get time to look out the window, not for taking a photograph but to enjoy it for your own benefit.”
Seeing the blue planet from space is termed the “overview effect” and, according to other space travellers, can change astronauts’ perspective of themselves and the world.
Among them was Helen Sharman, Britain’s first astronaut, who has previously said that “no one ever gets tired looking out of the window”.
Similarly, Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart said of seeing Earth from space: “You’re out there on the forefront and you have to bring that back somehow. That becomes a rather special responsibility and it tells you something about your relationship with this thing we call life.”
During a press conference yesterday, Major Peake added that amid all the intense preparations for taking off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan he had almost forgotten how close the launch was to Christmas.
“This being my first time in space, I’ll still be adapting to zero gravity,” he said. “Of course we’ll be enjoying the fantastic view of planet Earth and our thoughts will be with everybody on Earth enjoying Christmas, and with our friends and family.
“We’ll thankfully be able to give them a call on Christmas day. I also hear a Christmas pudding went up on Orbital Four [a supply mission to the space station], so we’ll have some treats as well.”
He stood and smiled as he was introduced at the press conference to loud applause. His family, including his parents Nigel and Angela Peake, were in the auditorium along with TVcrews, photographers and reporters from all over the world.
Major Peake said he had his colleagues to thank for preparing him psychologically and emotionally for the challenge, and that his training, which included living in a cave with other astronauts for seven days and spending 12 days underwater, had also played an important role.
A Russian Orthodox priest sprinkled holy water on the Soyuz’s fuselage and boosters yesterday in a ritual that has become traditional for Russian launches since the fall of the Soviet Union. Astronauts, their families and the media were also sprinkled.
Major Peake will also take part in the tradition among cosmonauts of watching the Russian cult movie White Sun of the Desert before blast-off, and of signing his name on his hotel door. However, it remained unclear whether he would take part in a further ritual started by Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space – that of urinating on the tyre of the bus taking them to the spaceship.
The best piece of advice I’ve had is to get time to look out the window, not for taking a photograph but to enjoy it