Astronaut Tim Peake has announced his return to space as the Russian capsule that carried him to and from the International Space Station has gone on display at London’s Science Museum.

The Soyuz TMA-19M used by Peake – the UK’s first ESA astronaut – becomes the first flown human spacecraft acquired by the Science Museum Group for the UK’s national space technology collection. The museum says the capsule – now in display in the Wellcome Wing – is an important part of UK space history and hopes it will inspire future generations.

“You do become very attached to your spacecraft because it definitely does save your life,” said Peake. “I’m absolutely delighted that my Soyuz spacecraft, the TMA-19M, is returning here to the UK and may serve, hopefully, as inspiration for our next generation of scientists and engineers.”

Peake who spent six month orbiting the earth, took part in a number of STEM activities with science centres, museums and planetariums while on board the ISS in 2015 and 2016.

Peake confirmed his return to space during the unveiling ceremony at the Science Museum, though a date is yet to be confirmed.

Speaking to Attractions Management in September, Jean-François Clervoy, veteran of three NASA Space Shuttle missions, said that the next generation of scientists and engineers are being inspired at science centres and planetariums through what is being learned in space, and through programming distributed on earth to promote space.

“The International Space Station (ISS) airs live links to schools, science museums and planetariums on a regular basis,” said Clervoy. “Tim Peake is a good example of this.

“Because it is a space programme it motivates engineers and scientists to find solutions to problems that can be spun off on Earth. These lessons we are learning up there we’re then teaching at our science centres and planetariums down here for the next generation.”

The capsule will build on the success of last year’s record-breaking Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age, a temporary exhibition visited by more than 140,000 people. Starting in March, the Science Museum will also debut “Space Descent VR with Tim Peake” – a new virtual reality experience that allows visitors to experience the 400km journey back to earth from the ISS inside the Soyuz capsule.

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