The capsule Soyuz TMA-19M was used by Tim for his Principia Mission, and was acquired for the nation by the Science Museum Group in 2016. The Soyuz spacecraft will land in Manchester on 10 March 2018, where it will remain until 13 May 2018 before continuing on its national tour.
Here’s a few facts about the Soyuz craft and its crew, ready for your next Pub Quiz:
- Soyuz TMA-19M carried astronauts Yuri Malenchenko (Commander, Russia), Tim Kopra (Flight Engineer, USA) and Tim Peake (Flight Engineer, UK) to the International Space Station on 15 December 2015 and returned the same crew to Earth on 18 June 2016.
- Tim Peake spent 6 years training for the mission aboard the Soyuz. He answered an internet advert entitled ‘Do you want to be an astronaut?’ to get it.
- He was the 8th Briton to go into space
- The outer surfaces have been charred by temperatures of around 1,500 degrees Celsius experienced during atmospheric re-entry.
- The module weighs approximately 1.5 tonnes.
The Soyuz spacecraft will land in Manchester on 10 March 2018, where it will remain until 13 May 2018 before continuing on its national tour.
Tim Peake said: “It is wonderful to be in Bradford for the start of another incredible journey for this spacecraft, which took me on a life-changing journey and delivered me safely back to Earth. I’m particularly happy that people up and down the UK now have the opportunity to discover more about my Principia mission and space travel, and that the Science Museum Group – with the support of Samsung – are doing so much to inspire the public and schools in this tour. I’d also urge anyone who wishes to see the capsule land near them to contact their local venues to apply to be the sixth destination.”
On top of this, Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, has joined forces with Samsung to create a unique virtual reality adventure – Space Descent VR – in preparation for the Soyuz craft.
Space Descent VR, which arrived at the museum in September, uses Samsung Gear VR technology to place visitors right at the heart of Tim Peake’s journey from the International Space Station back to Earth.
Tim Peake’s spacecraft – complete with its 25-foot parachute – is free to visit at all venues, and visitors aged 13 and over can try the Samsung VR experience for £6.
Museum of Science & Industry, Liverpool Rd, Manchester M3 4FP
0161 832 2244
http://www.msimanchester.org.uk/
