The magic and the routine

The magic has had different forms: his first ride on a SpaceX Dragon capsule, more than 20 hours in outer space over three spacewalks, the ever-changing sight of Earth and the camaraderie with his crewmates – including the very first Olympic Games in space.

Just over three months into his Alpha mission, Thomas has seen seven spacecraft come and go, the 20-year old Pirs module leaving for good and the arrival of Nauka with a very special passenger, the European Robotic Arm.