11 NOV. 2016
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ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and Roscosmos commander Oleg Novitsky blasted into space on Thursday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 20:20 GMT. Their Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft is now safely heading towards the International Space Station for docking on Saturday.
Docking coverage will be from 21:30–22:10 GMT 19 November and the opening of the hatch and welcome ceremony is from 23:45–01:10 GMT.
This page will be updated with video streams to watch all elements of the launch and docking live. Here is the schedule of events:
Launch: 20:20:13 GMT 17 November
Soyuz separation: 20:28:58 GMT 17 November
Docking: 22:02:36 GMT 19 November
Hatch opening: 00:15 GMT 20 November
To watch the launch and docking with French audio go to France's space agency CNES' website.
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Journey to the ISS Part 2: Soyuz rendezvous and docking explained
Thomas, Peggy and Oleg will spend six months in space working and living on the International Space Station.
Follow the whole mission with live updates via the Proxima mission blog and on Twitter via @esaspaceflight in English and @CNES in French. Connect with Thomas at thomaspesquet.esa.int
Journalists and representatives of social media are invited to watch the launch in France at La Géode, Paris, and La Cité de l’Espace, Toulouse. Both events are organised in conjunction with France’s CNES space agency.
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Principia launch pictured from just 113 m away
Proxima
Science is an important part of the mission. Thomas will conduct a wide range of experiments on the Station, an out-of-this world research outpost that serves as a stepping stone for human exploration.
His Proxima mission is the ninth long-duration mission for an ESA astronaut. It is named after the closest star to the Sun, continuing a tradition of naming missions with French astronauts after stars and constellations.
During Proxima, Thomas will perform around 50 scientific experiments for ESA and CNES as well as take part in many research activities for the other Station partners.
Education and inspiring youngsters is another important part of his mission. Thomas is determined to make Proxima an exciting adventure for all his followers and work as an ambassador for science- and space-based careers.
School activities running alongside Thomas’s mission include elements of science or technology, from computer coding, growing crystals and maths demonstrations to fitness and nutrition.
Read more about his mission at www.esa.int/proxima
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Name Thomas’ next space mission!
Please note, this competition closed midnight CEST Tuesday 12 May. Thank you to everyone who submitted an idea. The winning name will be announced over the coming months – stay tuned. ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is due to fly to the International Space Station in 2021 and will soon begin training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA after finishing a training session at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. We have the operational side covered… but we need your help to find the name of the mission!
A patch of health
During Thomas Pesquet's six-month Proxima mission on the International Space Station ESA monitored his health carefully, as it does for all ESA astronauts.Ranging from tests of their physical fitness to analysis of their blood, ESA’s specialists protect and promote the health of astronauts before, during and after their time in space.
Thomas Pesquet returns to Earth
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet landed on the steppe of Kazakhstan today with Russian commander Oleg Novitsky in their Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft after six months in space. Touchdown was at 14:10 GMT after a four-hour flight from the International Space Station.
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Related links
Connect with Thomas Pesquet
Connect with Thomas Pesquet
Where is the International Space Station?
Where is the International Space Station?
@Thom_astro on Twitter
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