British ESA astronaut Tim Peake will be launched to the International Space Station, from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft 15 December. br br One of the last hurdles before being allowed to go into space is the Soyuz exams held in Star City, Russia. Six hours of simulated spaceflight in a cramped Soyuz spacecraft while the examinators test the astronauts by programming as many malfunctions into the simulated mission as possible. ESA astronaut Tim Peake, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and commander-cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko went through them all on Friday 20 November and passed their exams. br br Named after Isaac Newton’s text Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Tim’s “Principia” mission will be the eighth ESA long-duration mission to the International Space Station. He will spend five months on orbit carrying out an intensive schedule of european and international experiments, in addition to numerous educational activities.