British astronaut Tim Peake has been giving his first live tv interview from the International Space Station.
Looking ridiculously fit healthy and happy, Peake took questions from a variety of tv news journalists gathered in Cologne who watched him on a giant screen.
Using the microphone as a floating toy, Peake beamed and spoke of his incredible joy at finally making it into space. Here are a few soundbytes:
On the whole experience so far:
‘It’s way better than I imagined. Way beyond my expectations’.
On the teamwork and effort to launch him into space:
‘phenomenal support’
On what he didn’t expect:
‘the blackness of space – how dark space is. It’s the blackest black’ and shows ‘how small earth is’
On creature comforts:
‘The tea (up here) tastes surprisingly good’
What the station smells like:
‘A metallic smell’ (you get used to it, he added)
What is he dreading?
‘There’s nothing I’m dreading – life up here is absolutely spectacular’
Is he suffering from cosmic ray impacts on his retina?
‘I’ve had one flash on my retina in the first night’
Will he be watching Star Wars the movie?
‘We’re very excited (the team) about watching Star Wars. On the 21st (December) we may get to see it up here on the Space Station. What a special place to see it from.’
Can he do a somersault? Yes the sporting nature of Tim prompted him to ‘give us a twirl’ as requested by a journalist on earth. He said he hoped to perfect it in coming weeks.
Beaming broadly, Peake gave a final big wave and wished everyone a very happy Christmas.
Picture – Tim arrives at Space Station.
Copyright ESA/NASA. Photo taken by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, showing ESA astronaut Tim Peake, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian cosmonaut commander Yuri Malenchenko after they arrived at the International Space Station 15 December, six hours after their launch at 11:03 GMT.
They were welcomed aboard by Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Korniyenko and Oleg Kononenko, and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly.
