British astronaut to face extreme danger during perilous journey back to Earth
Space man's Soyuz capsule will be scorched by super-hot 'blast furnace' conditions during risky descent back to terra firma
Tim Peake will brave searing temperatures and a perilous high speed landing tomorrow as he returns back to Earth after a six month stay aboard the International Space Station.
He will leave the orbiting space base aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule before facing the most dangerous part of his mission.
As Major Tim and his two crew mates plunge into Earth's atmosphere, the outside of their rocket will be scorched with "blast furnace" temperatures of 1,600°C for six terrifying minutes.
Once the astronauts' journey through this fiery danger zone is complete, they will use parachutes to slow the capsule down to 500mph before landing on solid ground in Kazahkstan at a comparatively sedate 17mph.
Tim will then travel to the European Space Agency headquarters in Germany before enjoying an emotional reunion with his wife and two kids.
Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut, of returning into Earth's atmosphere was like "being crushed and burned".
He said: "You see the fire that envelops the vehicle, like you're flying a meteorite home. Being crushed and burned and torched many thousand degrees.
"It's like you're flying through a blast furnace."
He said hitting the ground "like a tonne of bricks" felt as it he was in a "car crash".
When Tim lands, there's every chance that he won't be in Peake condition because living in zero gravity .
Space men's bones become weaker, their muscles shrink and they face an increased lifetime risk of cancer due to high levels of radiation exposure.
Tim will be banned from driving for 21 days and could even be stretchered away from the landing site because of the risk he will faint due to low blood pressure.
What dangers will Major Tim face during his return to earth?
CRASH LANDING: It is hoped that parachutes will slow down Tim's Soyuz capsule to 17mph, but any faster could result in serious injury. Tim will be tightly strapped into the craft to make sure he isn't hurt.
BLAST FURNACE CONDITIONS: Spaceship re-entering Earth's atmosphere are scorched with temperatures of 3,000F. The Soyuz capsule is lined with heat resistant tiles to protect the astronauts. If these fail, the unlucky space men will effectively be burned alive.
SELF HARM: Tim must avoid speaking during his return journey to avoid biting his own tongue off. Tim will have drunk a special solution to avoid becoming dehydrated during the six minute re-entry.
COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT: As Tim travels through the red hot death zone, his radio contact with ground control will be cut off completely. This means the astronauts are totally on their own if there is an emergency.
Helen Sharman, Britain's first astronaut, spent a week aboard the Russian Mir space station in 1991.
that returning to Earth's gravity has a heavy effect on astronauts.
Helen said: "To start with (after landing) you actually feel faint, more than anything because gravity's pulling blood away from your head. That faintness is the biggest reason why he'll be carried.
"I was quite wobbly for a while even though my body hadn't adapted to the pressure difference sufficiently in space. So it took me a few paces to learn to walk in a straight line again."
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