Tim Peake and space station crew mates return to Earth

This striking perspective view from ESA’s Mars Express shows an unnamed but eye-catching impact crater on Mars. This region sits south-west of a dark plain named Mare Serpentis (literally ‘the sea of serpents’), which in turn is located in Noachis Terra (literally ‘the land of Noah’).

Tim Peake speaks to Astronomy Now’s Greg Smye-Rumsby about his historic mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for launch on 15 December 2015.

Next to the Moon and Venus, the International Space Station (ISS) can be the third brightest object in the nighttime sky. During the first ten days of August, the ISS is well placed for viewing before midnight for observers in the British Isles. We show you how, when and where to see it.