Soyuz ship identical to one on display at Peterborough Cathedral makes emergency landing after booster failure

The latest space launch saw The Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station this morning. The ship was carrying American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin.

Shortly after launch, there was an anomaly with the booster and the launch ascent was aborted, resulting in a ballistic landing of the spacecraft.

A NASA spokesman said: “Search and rescue teams were deployed to the landing site. Hague and Ovchinin are out of the capsule and are reported to be in good condition. They will be transported to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia outside of Moscow.

“NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and the NASA team are monitoring the situation carefully. NASA is working closely with Roscosmos to ensure the safe return of the crew. Safety of the crew is the utmost priority for NASA. A thorough investigation into the cause of the incident will be conducted.”

The Soyuz capsule which brought Nick and Alexey safely back to earth is the same as the capsule which took British astronaut Tim Peake to the International Space Station - and back to Earth - and is currently on display at Peterborough Cathedral. Visitors can see the Soyuz at Peterborough Cathedral until November 5.