Principia Archives - Discovery Diaries

Tim Peake: The Principia Mission

On Tuesday, 15 December 2015, ESA Astronaut Tim Peake launched into space.

Christmas on the ISS

How do astronauts celebrate Christmas on the ISS?

How do astronauts use the toilet in space?

Everybody wonders it, so we thought we’d answer it … just how exactly do astronauts use the toilet in space?

Star Apprentice Thomas and his love of Lego

Meet July’s Star Apprentice, Thomas! Thomas (11) wowed us with his superb work – especially his map and comment about going to Denmark.

Space Diary Graduation Certificates

Fill out the form before July 31st 2017 and get free Space Diary graduation certificates.

Meet Star Apprentice Annabelle

Meet our June Star Apprentice, Annabelle (8). Annabelle has a passion for science and was awarded a place at Portsmouth Space Conference to meet Tim Peake.

Celebrate World Space Week!

October 4-10 is World Space Week and this year’s theme is ‘Space unites the world’!

5 minutes with… Lucy Hawking, Author

Lucy is the author of the Principia Mission Space Diary and the Mars Diary.

Run A Spaced-Themed Event: Astronaut Workout

The first activity in the Principia Space Diary is a 5-station Astronaut Workout.

Using Zap Codes to Strengthen Digital Literacy

What exactly is a Zap code and how do you use it?

Developed by primary teacher Claire Loizos, these student reflection sheets encourage students to recap on what they have learnt during a whole chapter of one of our programmes or after a specific activity.

How Teacher Feedback Has Improved the Space Diary

Since launching the first edition of the Space Diary in 2015, we have received so many wonderful comments from teachers across the UK.

Developing the Mars Diary

Just like a space mission needs many people with different skills to make it a success, the Mars Diary is a truly collaborative project involving authors, illustrators, designers, project coordinators, teaching experts and, of course, STEM experts.

The Principia Space Diary programme returns in 2017

Principia Space Diary is back, giving thousands of schoolchildren the chance to become space experts as they learn about British European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake’s historic space mission.

Meet our closest neighbour

Mars might be about 225 million kilometres away from Earth but it’s still our closest neighbouring planet.

Principia Schools Conference: Meeting Tim Peake

Imaging meeting Tim Peake! Students from Wellesley did just that at the Principia schools conference.

Meet the ORSAnauts

The Oxford Road Community School’s ORSAnauts watch the live stream of the Principia launch.

Tim Peake to tour UK!

Tim Peake is heading off on his post-flight tour of the UK this month, visiting all four UK national capitals along with Leicester, Manchester, Salford and Glasgow.

5 minutes with… Richard Crowther

Richard Crowther is the chief engineer at the UK Space Agency. We spend five minutes chatting with him about his career in the space industry.

5 Minutes with… Sheila Kanani

Astronomer Sheila Kanani is the Education, Outreach and Diversity Officer at the Royal Astronomical Society.

Space Apprentices Reach the Halfway Mark!

By the children of the Gardening Club at Hillmead Primary School, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts

Principia Space Diary Highlights

We’re so inspired by all the great work students have completed during their mission to the ISS! Here’s what some schools have been up to.

5-Minutes with… Mike Salter

Mike Salter is an engineer who works at Urthecast. Just two years after graduating from university, two Earth-imagine cameras which Mike had played a major role in developing were installed on the ISS. Not a bad start to a career in space engineering!

5-Minutes with… Berti Meisinger

Berti Meisinger (ESA Mission Director) is Astronaut Tim Peake’s Mission Director and his main point of contact on Earth. We asked Berti to tell us about her job and give some advice to young space enthusiasts.

Y3 students countdown to Principia launch!

This blog has been written by Tim Bromwich’s Year 3 Class at Cooper and Jordan School, Aldridge

Scouts embark on a space journey

I’m sure you can recall a time when someone asked, ‘Do you remember where you were when…’ usually followed by a major historic event. Imagine future dinner table conversations, when our young people are asked if they remember where they were when the first British astronaut went to the International Space Station under the Union flag, and they reply, ‘Remember it? I was part of it!’

Curved House Kids to publish UK Space Agency-funded Space Diary

15,000 schoolchildren invited to write and draw their way into space with British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Tim Peake.