³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

British astronaut Tim Peake will soon be hanging up his spacesuit for the final time.

After 13 years he has announced his retirement from the European astronaut corps.

He'll still going to be working in the space industry, but instead working as an ambassador - which means he will help to inspire and teach people about science and space - something he's been doing since 2019.

But why has his career been so special? Let's take a look at his highlights.

In May 2009, Tim beat thousands of applicants to be selected to join the ESA programme becoming the first British person ever to do so.

Before this, he spent 18 years as a helicopter test pilot in the British Army.

He graduated from his astronaut basic training in November 2010, making him the UK's second astronaut after Helen Sharman.

His Principia mission, which launched on 15 December 2015, saw him become the first UK astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

Part of his mission was general housekeeping on the ISS to make sure everything was working. He also worked on scientific experiments.

He even read a CBeebies bedtime story and answered loads of children's questions all from space!

His mission lasted a total of 186 days and 11 hours and he returned to Earth on 18 June 2016.

On 15 January 2016, Tim Peake stepped out from his base on board the International Space Station and became the first British person to perform a spacewalk.

He and his colleague, Tim Kopra, needed to repair broken power unit on the outside of the ISS.

The spacewalk lasted four hours and 45 minutes although it was expected to last six.

He said it felt great to be wearing the Union Jack flag and even took a selfie while he was there!

While on his mission, Tim became the first man to run a marathon in space!

He took part in the London Marathon using a treadmill and elastic straps holding him down against the zero gravity.

He ran the 42km (26.2 miles) in three hours and 35 minutes setting a new record time for a marathon run in space.

The ISS circles the Earth at 28,800km/h, so Major Peake covered more than 86,000km during his run!

Tim Peake had to operate a Rover that was back here on Earth while he was all the way up in space!

His task was to get the robot across a sandpit, made to be like the surface of Mars, and into a cave to look for targets.

It was all part of a European Space Agency project that aimed to learn how astronauts could control equipment remotely.

Tim Peake sent the late Queen Elizabeth II a one-minute message in a video link live from the ISS thanking her and said he hoped his journey would make the world a better place.

No one had ever sent a message directly to the Queen from space before!

Maybe it got him in her good books because she soon made him a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for services to space research and scientific education.

He found out in when he was still in space but waited until he was back on Earth to receive his medal.

During his time in space, Tim worked with the UK Space Agency to engage more than two million school children across the UK in more than 30 projects!

But he didn't stop there.

Once his feet were planted firmly back on Earth, he also spent his time educating and inspiring the next generation of astronauts.

What do you think was Tim Peake's biggest achievement? Do you have any message for him? Let us know in the comments below!