UK astronaut Tim Peake will get to drive a rover on Mars shortly. Or, at least, that is the scenario he is facing in a challenging experiment. In reality, the Briton, currently on the International Space Station, will command a robot to roll around a giant sandpit in Stevenage that simulates the surface of the Red Planet. It is part of a European Space Agency project that aims to learn how astronauts can control remote systems on other worlds. Known as Meteron (Multi-Purpose End-To-End Robotic Operation Network), the programme has already seen Danish ISS crewman Andreas Mogensen get a robot on Earth to put pegs in a series of holes.

UK astronaut Tim Peake has successfully berthed the latest cargo ship to visit the International Space Station. Using the platform's robotic arm, the Briton reached out to grab the Dragon freighter on Sunday, pulling it into the Harmony module. "We show load is safe, and it looks like we've caught a Dragon," said Major Tim. The capsule, sent up by private contractor SpaceX, is carrying just over three tonnes of equipment. Included in the shipment is an expandable room that will be fitted to the ISS in the coming weeks.