He has now posted his first tweet, saying 'Hi from #ISS'

After a nail-biting journey to the International Space Station (ISS), British astronaut Tim Peake has posted his first tweet from his new home.

He tweeted: 'Hi from #ISS! What an incredible ride to space yesterday-Soyuz felt so smooth & powerful. Yuri did outstanding job getting us safely docked.'

The father-of-two made space history when he entered the station alongside his fellow Expedition 46/47 crew members Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Kopra at 19.58GMT last night.

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After a nail-biting journey to the International Space Station (ISS), British astronaut Tim Peake has posted the first tweet (shown above) from his new home for six months

In a brief, yet monumental broadcast from the ISS last night, Major Peake expressed his joy and awe at joining the current crew on board, declaring it a great first day in the office.

Photographs have now emerged showing the the Siberian night sky illuminated by the rocket launch in Baikonur Kazakhstan.

After blast-off, the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket made a spectacular journey across the sky, with residents in Kemerovo and Altai regions as well as the republics of Altai and Khakassia, capturing the dazzling display on camera, The Siberian Times reported.

One viewer of described it as 'beautiful,' while another said: '[It’s] like watching Interstellar.'

In a brief, yet monumental broadcast from the ISS, British astronaut Tim Peake (pictured hugging current commander Scott Kelly) expressed his joy and awe at joining the current crew on board

The Siberian night sky was illuminated by the launch (pictured) in Baikonur Kazakhstan

Immediately after entering the station, the crew (from left to right Tim Kopra, Sergey Volkov, Yuri Malenchenko, Mikhail Kornienko, Tim Peake and Scott Kelly) spoke to their friends and family. Major Peake said: 'It was a beautiful launch. The first sunrise was spectacular'

A SIBERIAN VIEW OF THE LAUNCH The Siberian night sky was illuminated by the launch in Baikonur Kazakhstan. After blast-off, the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket made a spectacular journey across the sky, with residents in Kemerovo and Altai regions as well as the republics of Altai and Khakassia, capturing the dazzling display on camera. One viewer of described it as 'beautiful,' while another said: '[It’s] like watching Interstellar. Major Tim - the first British astronaut for a generation - described his journey and the amazing views he saw from his Russian rocket. 'It was a beautiful launch and we got launched straight into night and got on with the work,' he said. 'The first sunrise was absolutely spectacular, and we also got the benefit of a moonrise which was beautiful to see.' Advertisement

Immediately after entering the ISS, the crew spoke to their friends and family during which Major Peake said: 'It was a beautiful launch and we got straight into the work. The first sunrise was spectacular. We also got the moon rise which was a pleasure to see.'

He then told his wife Rebecca that he hoped everyone had great launch celebrations and 'enjoyed the show.'

His mother Angela came on the radio and said: 'I think you would call today a spectacular day in the office? Everyone sends their love,' to which he replied: 'I think we had a great day in the office, that's for sure. Love to everybody back home!'

The trio were expected to board the station at 19.25 GMT but following a delay with the docking procedure and Soyuz Commander Malenchenko struggling to open the hatch the team officially arrived at 19.58 GMT.

The current crew, including commander Scott Kelly, Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov were waiting to welcome the new arrivals armed with a camera to document the monumental event.

After blast-off, the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket made a spectacular journey across the sky, with residents in Kemerovo and Altai regions as well as the republics of Altai and Khakassia, capturing the dazzling display on camera. One of the incredible photographs is shown

One viewer of the launch (shown) described it as 'beautiful,' while another said: '[It’s] like watching Interstellar'

Once the hatch on the Soyuz and the hatch on the station had been primed, mission control equalised the pressure ready for the crew's arrival.

Mission control tried to hurry along the process by saying the crew was 'waiting impatiently' but when the hatch was finally ready to open, mission control said to Malenchenko: 'Please go ahead and open the hatches. Have a great mission and say hi to the crew from us!'

Second-time astronaut, Nasa's Tim Kopra was first through the hatch, followed by Major Peake and Malenchenko, who is making his sixth flight into space. Kopra was first to take to Twitter too, writing: 'Awesome ride! Thanks to all the great training teams that helped make it happen.'

Major Tim - the first British astronaut for a generation - described his journey and the amazing views he saw from his Russian rocket, but this stunning view was taken by a resident in Siberia

'It was a beautiful launch and we got launched straight into night and got on with the work,' Major Peake said. A view from Siberia is shown above

Since lift-off, Major Peake has been sent various messages from celebrities, politicians and even the Queen.

Elton John tweeted: 'From one Rocket Man to another, good luck @astro_timepeake with your launch and mission! #Principia #spacerocks'

Following the 'flawless' launch, Prime Minister David Cameron posted a video message to Major Peake.

He said: 'Tim, I know you have been dreaming of this day for a long time and we will be with you for every step of the way, watching with admiration and wonder.

'So on behalf of everyone in Britain let me wish you the very best of luck. You are doing us all proud.'

Since lift-off, Major Peake has been sent various messages from celebrities, politicians and even the Queen. In a letter from Her Royal Highness pictured), the Queen wrote: 'Prince Philip and I are pleased to transmit our best wishes to Major Timothy Peake as he joins the International Space Station in orbit'

And in a letter from Her Majesty, the Queen wrote: 'Prince Philip and I are pleased to transmit our best wishes to Major Timothy Peake as he joins the International Space Station in orbit.

'We hope Major Peake's work on the Space Station will serve as an inspiration to a new generation of scientists and engineers.

'The thoughts and prayers of the whole country are with him and the crew, especially at this time of year.

'We join with his friends and family in wishing him a productive mission and safe return to Earth.'

Major Peake, alongside Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Nasa's flight engineer Tim Kopra took off at 11.03 GMT from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on board a Soyuz TMA-19 rocket.

The docking of the craft to the ISS was delayed by nine minutes due to a misalignment. Esa has not revealed the details about what caused this misalignment, but the crew was forced to take over the manual controls after losing contact with mission control.

The official Esa twitter handle posted a number of updates during the docking procedure. After initially losing contact, it posted: '#Principia contact and capture confirmed!'

Following the 'flawless' launch, Prime Minister David Cameron posted a video message to Major Peake. A view of the launch from Siberia is shown

Major Peake, a former Army helicopter pilot, travelled to the ISS in a module the size of a van, which sits on top of a Soviet rocket based on a 1950s ballistic missile. He is pictured inside the capsule giving a 'thumbs up' to the on-board camera

The rocket took off from launch pad one (sequence pictured from left to right) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan – the same spot where Yuri Gagarin lifted off from in 1961 to become the first man in space. Its awesome thrust powered Major Peake and his companions to more than 1,000mph (1,609km/h) towards the International Space Station

MAJOR PEAKE: JOURNEY TO SPACE 2008: Applied to the European Space Agency. Start of rigorous, year-long screening process 2009: Selected to join Esa's Astronaut Corps and appointed an ambassador for UK science and space-based careers 2010: Completed 14 months of astronaut basic training 2011: Peake and five other astronauts joined a team living in caves in Sardinia for a week. 2012: Spent 12 days living in a permanent underwater base in Florida 2013: Assigned a six-month mission to the International Space Station 2015: Will embark on the Principia mission, a long-duration flight to the ISS Advertisement

It then tweeted: 'Time of docking: 17:33 under manual control. @astro_timpeake @astro_tim & Yuri are secured to the #ISS.

'After the excitement of docking @astro_timpeake, @astro_tim and Yuri are now checking for leaks as standard procedure.

'SoyuzTMA19M crew report they are fine and starting to shut down the spacecraft's systems as they are no longer needed.'

Major Peake, a married father of two, from Chichester, West Sussex, has spent six years in training for the mission, which will see him spend six months aboard the ISS – an orbiting laboratory that speeds through space at 17,500mph (28,160km/h) some 248 miles (399km/h) above Earth.

Last night, he enjoyed a massage and watched a film as he spent one final evening relaxing prior to his historic space flight.

The former Army helicopter pilot made his way to the ISS in a module the size of a van, which sits on top of a Soviet rocket based on a 1950s ballistic missile.

It took off from launch pad one at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan – the very spot where Yuri Gagarin lifted off from in 1961 to become the first man in space - on time at 11.03GMT.

Its awesome thrust is powered Major Peake and his companions to more than 1,000mph (1,609km/h) during the six-hour flight

Major Tim Peake became Britain's first official astronaut. After boarding the bus to the launch pad in his space suit, Tim Peake created a heart with his hands and gestured towards his son Oliver (pictured)

Tim Peake is pictured left, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko is pictured centre and Tim Kopra is pictured right on the way to the launch pad in Baikonur. The trio have been training for the mission for the past six years

At a press conference before the launch, Major Peake said: 'I don't think anything can truly prepare you for that moment and that will occur in the Soyuz spacecraft once we get injected into orbit.

'I'll be able to look out the right window and see the beautiful view of Planet Earth.

'We've been so busy focused on this mission that I kind of forgot Christmas was just over a week away. Our thoughts will be with everybody on Earth enjoying Christmas, and with our friends and family, of course.'

As he was waved off by family and friends earlier today – including parents Nigel and Angela - from the Cosmonaut Hotel in Kazakhstan today, well-wishers gathered waving Union flags, cheering and shouting 'go Tim'.

His youngest son Oliver, four, who was sitting on the shoulders of his grandfather, Tim's father-in-law, cried loudly as he waved to his father while sobbing: 'I want to go with Daddy.'

He was consoled by his mother as he clutched a toy.

Chris Hadfield, the Canadian astronaut who became an internet sensation after recording a version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity while on the ISS, said the potential dangers of the mission weigh most heavily on the minds of those left behind.

The father of two is pictured waving goodbye to friends and family from a bus before donning his space suit at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. His youngest son Oliver, four, who was sitting on the shoulders of his grandfather, Tim's father-in-law, cried loudly as he waved to his father while sobbing: 'I want to go with Daddy'

The British astronaut was still beaming as his space suit was tested ahead of the launch. He was selected as an Esa astronaut in May 2009 from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants and completed his Astronaut Basic Training in November 2010

Speaking at London’s Science Museum, he said: ‘It has the potential to be magnificent but it’s also not without risk. And that is very much on the mind, especially of the people on the ground.

‘At least in the rocket, you have a hand in your destiny, but for the families, it’s tough.’

As they were leaving, music was played - an old Russian song about a cosmonaut pining for home.

Among those to congregate were Major Peake's best man, former Army Air Corps pilot Ian Curry, 50, who said: 'I'm hugely excited about the launch.

'For me it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a tremendously exciting thing and one of my best mates is on board. Tim and I are great mates, we've been pretty tight for 27 years.'

Mr Curry, who now lives in Alabama in the US, revealed that the Peake family, including Major Peake's wife Rebecca, discussed whether being an astronaut was the right thing for him.

He said: 'The family had a discussion about it and saw it as a big opportunity. They said, 'Go for it'. Rebecca's incredibly supportive and has been all the way through.

Rebecca Peake (pictured centre) with her son Thomas are shown watching the launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

BRITONS IN SPACE Major Peake is not the first British astronaut to have flown in space, but others have had private funding or taken dual citizenship. Sheffield-born Helen Sharman secured private funding to become the first Briton in space. In 1991, the chemist spent a week at the Mir space station on Project Juno, a project launched between a number of UK companies and the Soviet government. A number of British-born astronauts have also flown under an American flag including Piers Sellers, Nicholas Patrick and Greg Johnson. The most experienced British-born astronaut is Michael Foale, who was turned down twice before being accepted as a Nasa astronaut. Born with dual-citizenship, Foale flew as an American on his missions, which included extended stays on the Mir station and the ISS. British-born games developer Richard Garriott used his vast personal fortune to follow in the footsteps of his father, Nasa astronaut Owen Garriott, and travel to the ISS on a Russian rocket in 2008. Advertisement

'Tim is an incredibly patient person. He maintains equilibrium terribly well. Things that would be too much for me, he just deals with.'

As Major Peake and his colleagues left the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, they signed the door of their hotel room. This is one of a number of traditions that the astronauts and cosmonauts will carry out ahead of the launch.

Many are linked to Yuri Gagarin, including a pre-launch ritual in which flowers are placed at a memorial wall that honours him and the four cosmonauts who lost their lives during space missions.

A visit is also typically paid to Gagarin's office, which has been preserved as a shrine.

Other more bizarre traditions include allowing cosmonauts to urinate on the right rear wheel of the bus and get a smack on the bottom from the chief designer when waving goodbye to the space workers before launch.

Most of the other traditions and superstitions apply to the rocket and spacecraft capsule.

Cosmonauts are, for instance, not allowed to attend the roll-out of the Soyuz rocket before launch as this is thought to bring bad luck, while coins are put on the rails when the rocket is brought to the launch pad by train to be flattened by the rocket as it passes to bring good luck.

During the past six years, Major Peake, a former helicopter test pilot, has lived in an underground cave, spent 12 days on the bottom of the sea, and taken lessons in science and Russian in preparation for the trip of a lifetime.

He was selected as an Esa astronaut in May 2009 from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants and completed his Astronaut Basic Training in November 2010.

In 2011, he joined a mission as part of an international team living underground for a week and exploring a cave system in Sardinia, with the focus on human behaviour and performance in extreme environments.

Major Tim Peake pictured in his Chichester school uniform, left, and as a cadet, right. He has become Britain's first fully-fledged astronaut

Tim Peake's wife Rebecca Peake with son Oliver (left) and Thomas (right) celebrate as the British astronaut Tim Peake lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

In June 2012, he spent 12 days in the Aquarius habitat 66ft (20 metres) below the sea off the coast of Florida.

This area allows space agencies to test devices and conduct research for future missions.

Later that year, Major Peake completed his spacewalk training using the Russian Orlan spacesuit and the US Extravehicular Mobility Unit - suits that are specially built for the activity.

Elsewhere, Major Peake is a keen skier, scuba diver and mountaineer, plans to run a 'London' marathon while on the ISS.

THE LAUNCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA Brandwatch analysed how many mentions of the launch were made on social media. As of this morning, more than 26,000 mentions had been made about the mission. Sentiment was overwhelmingly positive at 19 per cent in more than 5,000 mentions. The conversation had been marginally dominated by men - 59 per cent male. Mentions peaked at 131 per minute in the build up to the launch and after the event. The most popular tweets were from @astro_kjell, @muse, @NASA and the official @space_station account. Advertisement

He will embark on the gruelling 26.2 mile (42.2 km) task in April, using the ISS' treadmill at the same time as runners on Earth are tackling the London Marathon.

However, the bulk of his time will be spent maintaining the ageing space station and monitoring hundreds of experiments – more than 20 of which he will conduct on himself.

Major Peake is not the first British astronaut to have flown in space, but others have had private funding or taken dual citizenship.

Sheffield-born Helen Sharman had to secure private funding to become the first Briton in space.

In 1991, the chemist spent a week at the Mir space station on Project Juno, a project launched between a number of UK companies and the Soviet government.

Now 52 and a chemist at Imperial College London, she has told the major to enjoy the view: 'Imprint the colours of the Earth on your memory because they do not appear the same on recreated images.'

A number of British-born astronauts have also flown under an American flag including Piers Sellers, Nicholas Patrick and Greg Johnson.

The most experienced British-born astronaut is Michael Foale, who was turned down twice before being accepted as a Nasa astronaut.

Born with dual-citizenship, Foale flew as an American on his missions, which included extended stays on the Mir station and the ISS.