THE spacecraft which transported British astronaut Tim Peake to and from the International Space Station, will be welcomed at York’s National Railway Museum on Wednesday.

Displayed on the Great Hall’s historic turntable along with its original 25m parachute, the Soyuz TMA-19M capsule will form the centrepiece of a new display.

The spacecraft is visiting the museum as part of a landmark national tour supported by Samsung and the Science Museum Group.

Welcoming the capsule to the museum, will be Libby Jackson from the European Space Agency and Government Year of Engineering Envoy, Stephen Metcalfe MP.

Also giving speeches will be National Railway Museum director Judith McNicol and James Eadie, Samsung’s director of Brand and Communications UK.

Local schoolchildren will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Ms McNicol, said: “It’s hard to express how excited we are to be hosting Soyuz in York..

“The capsule represents an incredible technological feat, and this is an unmissable opportunity for visitors young and old to see the craft that took Tim Peake all the way to the International Space Station and back.”

The display of the iconic craft will be accompanied by an inspiring and immersive range of activities, including the Space Descent VR virtual reality experience, narrated by Tim Peake himself.

This places visitors inside the Soyuz TMA-19M capsule to witness first-hand the incredible 250-mile journey back to Earth from the International Space Station,using Samsung Gear headsets.

The museum will be hosting a series of Soyuz talks and activities discussing the historic piece of engineering.

During February half term, February 10-17, a special Mission Space collection of activities will take place, including an astronaut training school.