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First Astronaut from Britain Sent up to ISS

By Kanika Gupta | Update Date: Dec 18, 2015 06:34 PM EST

Tim Peake from Britain became the first person on Tuesday to go to the International Space Station. Selected by European Space Agency, he has been sent on a mission with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and another Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko on a Soyuz spacecraft lifting from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia's Kazakhstan. Peake has been sent up to ISS for a period of six months where he will be conducting some experiments and updating the people at ESA with his progress. His bold step to go on a NASA mission will be able to inspire younger people to take more interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, he hopes, reports Mashable.

After reaching ISS, Peake said he had a 'great day in the office' after making a tiring 8-hour flight to the International Space Station and begin his 6-month long sojourn. The room filled with an applause in Baikonur theatre in Kazakhstan where the astronaut's family and friends were present to witness his safe arrival, along with NASA and ESA officials as they watched the hatch open. As things got a little tense while docking, the mission commander, Yuri Malenchenko, had to manually control the ship and pilot it. Major Peake was seen arriving at the space station smiling and he hugged the already present crew members, NASA's Scott Kelly and Sergey Volkov and Mikhail Kornienko of Russia, according to Teelgraph.

Her Majesty said: "Prince Philip and I are pleased to transmit our best wishes to Major Timothy Peake as he joins the International Space Station in orbit." She added: "We hope that Major Peake's work on the Space Station will serve as an inspiration to a new generation of scientists and engineers. The thoughts and prayers of the whole country are with him and the crew, especially at this time of year. We join with his friends and family in wishing him a productive mission and a safe return to Earth," as reported by Express.

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