Tim Peake Space Mission Gets Him Doing 10 Hardcore Training Sessions

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It only took almost a quarter of a day for astronaut Tim Peake to dock the Russian Soyuz to the International Space Station. He will be joining fellow astronauts as part of the European Space Agency's Principia Mission, which aims to conduct experiments and test new technologies for future exploration missions.

The Russian Soyuz reached the space station at 12:33 p.m. ET Tuesday after launching from a Kazakhstan. This would make Peake the first British European Space Agency astronaut to arrive at the International Space Station, according to CNN.

The team will also try to learn as much as they can about the effects of being in space, including weightlessness, extreme radiation and vacuum, and its physical and psychological impact on humans. But, because of this kind of environment, Peake will also have to work on his fitness in order to make sure that he will maintain his strength, bones, and fitness.

During his stay in the International Space Station, Peake will have to complete 10 hardcore training sessions every week. In addition to this, he also needs to use an exercise bike, treadmill, and a specially-designed weights machine for two hours every day in 23-degree Celsius heat, Mirror reported.

"It's really important that Tim is prepared to exercise on board the ISS. Exercise is one of the best counter-measures we have against all the changes that will take place in his body, so he needs to be ready to exercise as soon as he arrives," said Dr Jon Scott, team leader in the Space Medicine Office at the European Astronaut Centre, who also helped Peake during his preparation before launch.

Apart from the exercise program which is centered on high-intensity training, Peake will also try to run a marathon in space. He has committed to run the same distance as that of in a London marathon. That means he would be running 26.2 miles on a treadmill. The major difference would have to be the fact that he will do so with a harness because of weightlessness in his new environment.

"Bones are very susceptible to becoming thinner and weaker in space," added Dr. Scott. This the reason why the astronaut would have to also do some weight training in order to combat the possible adverse effect of weightlessness on the human body. Dr. Scott will review and monitor Peake's progress and even suggest some modifications in his program if necessary.

Before taking on the mission, Peake completed 6,000 hours of training and also had to learn Russian. He also shared that his previous training as a former Army major and helicopter test pilot really helped him prepare for this mission, wrote BT.com.