Updated. It has been day of sunshine and heavy showers, the most widespread have been affecting north east england and eastern scotland. This was scene in fife. Those showers fade away over the coming hours. It will eventually become dry across all parts of the uk overnight with clear skies and light winds. Not a cold one, though. Temperatures 10 14dc. Tomorrow we start off on a dry note with hazy spells of sunshine, but cloud will quickly gather in Northern Ireland, outbreaks of rain spreading in here, turning heavy and driven on by strengthening south westerly winds. Eventually, the rain will arrive through the afternoon. The south and east staying dry, but cloudier is the day goes by. That is your latest weather. Hello, this is bbc news with lu kwesa burak. The headlines following the seizure of a british flagged tanker in the gulf, the foreign secretary speaks to his irainian counterpart and expresses his extreme disappointment. We will respond in a way that is considered but robust, and we are absolutely clear that, if this situation is not resolved quickly, there will be serious consequences. Police in hong kong say theyve seized a large amount of explosives ahead of a weekend of marches by both pro and anti china demonstrators. Its one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Its 50 years ago today that Neil Armstrong took the giant leap to become the first man to walk on the moon. An update following that terrible fire injapan. The Reuters News Agency is reporting that authorities haveissued agency is reporting that authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect who was named earlier this week. And 3a people died in that fire that took place on thursday morning of last week and many more are injured. Now on bbc news, witness history. Hello, and welcome to a special edition. To mark the anniversary of the moon landings, i am here at the Science Museum in london to bring you five first person accounts of extraordinary moments in the exploration of space. Coming up, we hear from the commander of the mission that took the most famous photographs ever of our planet, we get a moving account of the challenges Space Shuttle disaster, and we find out more about the soviet dog who became the first living creature in space. But we begin injuly 1969 when the world begin injuly1969 when the world stopped in its tracks to watch the americans put a man on the moon for the first time. A Television Audience in the hundreds of millions held its breath as Neil Armstrong clambered out of the apollo 11 and took the first steps on the desolate lunar surface. Jerry griffin was one of the nasa flight controllers. Mission control was made up of a bunch of young people. I was 3a and i was one of the older guys. I think we all felt that nobody has ever done this, so let mightjust do it. There was a routine from launch to the point of going into lunar orbit. The final phases of the descent of apollo 11 were fraught. We had two computer alarms saying that the computer was being overworked. They took a quick look to make sure all the guidance was correct. Quickly gave them a goal. So it was dicey, and then they started running short of fuel, we we re started running short of fuel, we were concerned. You started running short of fuel, we were concerned. You heard, 60 seconds Neil Armstrong said that. Neil was a very good pilot. He could already see that the computer was taking him into a field, so he had to manoeuvre to try to find a smooth place. And the fuel gauge was heading down, and we were watching it. And it was nerve racking. I never will forget buzz aldrin said, we we re never will forget buzz aldrin said, we were picking up dust 100 feet above the surface, and that is when i thought, we will make it. When they first touched down, it was a great relief. I remember being proud, we did it neiltold me great relief. I remember being proud, we did it neil told me one time, its like an automobile, when it is on empty, there is a bit left in the tank. Neil went down the ladder, the Television Picture was pretty grainy, but we could basically tell what he was doing. I think everybody was just awestruck, and there was very little said in that room. He first actually got down to the footpath, and he was standing there, collecting his thoughts, and i think he wanted to make sure that he was calm enough im not too excited, which he never was. When he took the one small step. I remember thinking, was. When he took the one small step. I rememberthinking, you was. When he took the one small step. I remember thinking, you knew he would come up with something profound. Buzz aldrin came after him. When they planted the flag and talk to the president , i heard these two guys standing in the moon, it worked it kind of amazes me, 50 yea rs later worked it kind of amazes me, 50 years later today, people realise what we did Gerry Griffin worked on all of nasas manned Apollo Missions and eventually became director of the Kennedy Space center. The race to the moon was one of the battles in the cold war between the United States and the soviet union. It is ha rd to states and the soviet union. It is hard to imagine now that the americans actually started off a long way behind moscow. In november 1957, soviet scientists shock the world by putting the first satellite into space thenjust world by putting the first satellite into space then just a few weeks later they put an animal into orbit. Her name was laika, and she was trained by vladimir. We spoke to his son, victor. Earths first real space pioneer was a dog, a russian husky called laika. The russians put sputnik into husky called laika. The russians put sputnik into orbit around the world with laika as a passenger. She was prepared for her lonely journey. She was a very patient dog, very affectionate. She was easy to train. She was considered very clever. She had very expressive dark eyes. And my father wanted to take her away from the official environment of the lab and put her home to run around with us and play. In 1957, i was nine and my father was in charge of the soviet medical programme to send animals into space. I remember that very often a car would arrive from my father. It would signal, beep beep the door would open in a crowd of dogs would tumble out of it. They we re of dogs would tumble out of it. They were full of life. They would run to us, start licking us. And then the command was given. They were well trained, they went back to the car and were driven back to the labs. All dogs that were launched into space had to wait not more than six 01 space had to wait not more than six or seven kilograms. Way. They we re or seven kilograms. Way. They were all stray dogs, they had stamina and were under demanding. They were naturally selected by their life on the streets. In order to study laikas Blood Pressure and monitor her pulse during the flight, my father pulled her main artery close to the surface of her skin. A transmitter was then attached to the artery, more transmitters were attached to her ribs and neck. Laika elliptical orbit varies above the earths service. Observers listen carefully earths service. Observers listen carefully to the coded radio signals which tell the space scientist how she is on her lonelyjourney. Without knowing it, laika is telling man weather in the years to come it will be safe for him to follow her. It was the 40th anniversary of the revolution in 1957, and they needed to make a push before the festivities, and that is why not everything could be thought through in this flight population. Everything could be thought through in this flight population. The soviet communist party leader then needed to show americans who was first. Everyone was very concerned the laika. They knew she would not return from that journey. The laika. They knew she would not return from thatjourney. Scientists then did not know how to return living creatures from orbit back to earth. After ten hours, she died because of the very High Temperature in her capsule. The system of thermal insulation of a capsule had not been properly developed. In memory of this remarkable flight, special stamps and envelopes were produced with laikas image. There we re produced with laikas image. There were also special cigarettes and matches in the ussr called laika. The monument was unveiled in moscow in 2008. Laikas flight show you can survive weightlessness, and the door was open to the mans travel into space. Professor victor talking to us space. Professor victor talking to us in russia. After their success with laika, the soviet union achieved more breakthroughs including putting the first man into space, but in 1968 the americans took the lead in the space race with the most Daring Mission in the apollo programme, using new rocket technology, apollo eight flew all the way to the moon for the first time. The astronauts also took the famous picture of earth as seen from space. It still is the most profitable machine ever made by man. The noise was extremely loud. We had not been able to train for that, really. And it gets very hard to breathe. Your eyes flatten out so you get tunnel vision. The apollo eight mission was designed to fly 240,000 miles, all the way to moon. And then come home with a surface propulsion engine. The idea of deep space navigation and circa lunar navigation and re entering the atmosphere at 25,000 miles an hour, none of that had ever been done before. We were the trailblazers in that aspect. The moon of courses moving around the earth at 3000 miles an hour, and as i recall we were going at 2000 miles an hour ourselves, and we had come 240,000 miles, aiming infront of the moving moon. And i think we fired the spacecraft engine Something Like four minutes to slow down to get into lunar orbit. And then we looked down, and there was then we looked down, and there was the moon. We were 69 miles above it and for the first time we really saw it, and the lunar surface was totally distressed with meteorites, craters, and one of the things that struck me was there was absolutely no colour, it was either grey or black and white. 0n the fifth or sixth revolution, we looked up and there was the earth in the background, coming over the lunar surface. It was scrambled for the camera, and bill anders took the picture. The contrast between the distressed moon and the beautiful blue earth was remarkable. The earth was the only thing in the entire universe that had any colour. Basically, blue, you could see the white clouds, the brownish pink contours, it was a beautiful site, we are very fortu nate to beautiful site, we are very fortunate to live on this planet. I dont think any of us had paid any attention to the fact that we would be going all the way to the moon and it would be more interesting to look at the earth. There was a sense of all, on my part at least, that this sense of universe is bigger than all of us. That photograph gave us all a sense that we live on a fragile planet, that we have limited resources , planet, that we have limited resources, and we had better learn to ta ke resources, and we had better learn to take care of it. Commander Frank Boorman on a picture that change the way we see the earth. Remember, you can watch this programme on the bbc news channel or search online. We are turning now though to one of the darkest moments in the history of space exploration. In 1986, the space exploration. In 1986, the Space Shuttle challenger exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all members of the crew. In a tragic twist, one of the astronauts that died was christa mcauliffe, a schoolteacher who had won a public competition to be on the flight. We spoke to barbara morgan, who was christers back up astronaut. Spoke to barbara morgan, who was christers backup astronaut. My husband and i were sitting on the sofa, watching the news, and president reagan came on and made the announcement, it was remarkable. We are directing nasa to begin a search entered to choose is the First Citizen passenger one of americas finest, a teacher. |j First Citizen passenger one of americas finest, a teacher. I will a lwa ys americas finest, a teacher. I will always remember my husband, writer, jumped up immediately and said, why a teacher, why not a writer . And i laughed and said, i thought a teacher would be the perfect choice. Christa was chosen as our teacher in space, i was very lucky to be chosen as her back up. Christa was very much the girl next door, she had an effervescent smile, she was very intelligent and soaking it all in. We spent six months training at the space centre with the challenger crew. Some of our favourite training was in the simulators to learn what it is like to be weightless. We did not stop laughing the entire flight. Launch day was the 28th of january. We had been at the Kennedy Space center for we had been at the Kennedy Space centerfor a we had been at the Kennedy Space center for a few days, and the crew had been spending their time in crew quarters, going through all the last minute work on preparations for the flight, and that morning was very cold. We of course had schoolchildren all over the country, watching, 100 kids from christas somes school, and all the families and friends. I remember, iwas somes school, and all the families and friends. I remember, i was so excited, i so wanted to be with them, i was waving and jumping up and down. I was so happy for them, and down. I was so happy for them, and wanted to be there with them. We have main engine start four, three, two, one, liftoff liftoff from the 25th Space Shuttle mission, and it is clear the tower. 25th Space Shuttle mission, and it is clear the tower. Very soon into the launch, things did not look right. There was not one contrail going up. All of a sudden, there we re going up. All of a sudden, there were a couple. And that did not look different from the launch that christa and i had watched a few months earlier, and then at some point you realise that something has gone terribly wrong. We all went to crew quarters. We we re we all went to crew quarters. We were helping the families. It was a really tough situation. In september, i went back to the classroom and taught for many more yea rs, classroom and taught for many more years, and in1998 classroom and taught for many more years, and in 1998 nasa asked me to apply to the astronaut programme. At that point, i left teaching and went and served as an astronaut for ten yea rs. And served as an astronaut for ten years. One of the wonderful legacies of the challenger is the Educational Programme that the families of the challenger crew members got together and created, where young people for themselves experienced the joy and wonder of space flight and space exploration, that is why the challenger crew were going into space, they were going to explore and discover and experience for all of us and keep that future wide open for all of us. The former teacher and astronaut barbara morgan. 0f course danger has been present throughout the history of space flight throughout the history of space flight and throughout the history of space flightand in throughout the history of space flight and in 1997 tragedy nearly struck again when a resupply vessel crashed into the near space station. Michael thorpe told us how he and two colleagues managed to contain the damage. It was a space station built by the russians. The impression you got when you opened up impression you got when you opened up the hatch and went into mere for the first time were twofold, one was the first time were twofold, one was the smell, a smell of an oily garage. Maybe a bit of mast because we did have mould, and then the other impression is clutter, and so as you go through, it is like going into the oesophagus of someones throat. After six weeks of being on the station, it had been doing my experiments, i got up on the 25th of june, and the Flight Engineer and flight june, and the Flight Engineer and flight commander had been using radio control equipment to fly cargo ship called progress that weighs seven tonnes into the station using atv seven tonnes into the station using a tv looking at the station. As i look at his tv screen, i could see the orientation is all wrong for a proper docking to take place. And sasha, the Flight Engineer, said to me, michael, scramble and he meant the soyuz spacecraft, which is joined on to the end of the station, at that point that was our lifeboat, but i understood because of the emergency in which he said it, he meant, go there to save your life and as i float through, i feel the whole space station shudder and move around me. I am whole space station shudder and move around me. Iam pretty sure whole space station shudder and move around me. I am pretty sure this may be my last breath because im looking at the three millimetres thick aluminium walls, waiting for them to part. Klaxons go off when there is a pressure leak, then i felt my is popping which meant in this case the air was leaving the space station and a whistling sound was coming from the spectre module. In 23 minutes, if he did nothing we would go unconscious. Sasha comes to me, doesnt say a word, he fiendishly starts trying to remove ca bles fiendishly starts trying to remove cables leading into the module, he looked around for a large hatch that could be put in place, and we put it on, and as it went on, it sucked in. But then because the station had been hit by the progress, we were tumbling and rolling, and at that point it had no electric power, the batteries were giving out, there was no fan is running, the Carbon Dioxide removal was not working, no oxygen regeneration, and no communications with moscow or anybody else, it was a totally dead station. This is not something you see in movies where it all gets solved instantly by some brainy chap. It probably took six hours. We use the spacecraft and fighterjet to stop the space station tumbling and rolling, and then wonderfully we came into sunlight after this, and all of a sudden the fans started to come on, the lights came on, and i said, facilities, have done however, in the next month, the station was inoperable in any normal sense, it could just sustain our lives and nothing else. When finally the shuttle came in october, i was quite happy to see them. And as we backed away from the station, i looked at it and thought, i dont really mind if i do ever see that again. If i do not. Really mind if i do ever see that again. Ifi do not. Former astronaut michael. Thats all from us astronaut michael. Thats all from us here at the Space Gallery in the Science Museum in london. We will be back next month with more first hand accou nts back next month with more first hand accounts from the past but for now from me and the rest of the team goodbye. The showers have been widespread across eastern scotland and north east england. This was the scene in fife earlier on today with the cloud looming over the skyline and in the same place the heavens really opened. They have been some really opened. They have been some really heavy downpours around today. The raider picture shows the majority of the showers have been through eastern scotland and particularly north east england close to an area of low pressure that has been moving slowly across north yorkshire. 0ver that has been moving slowly across north yorkshire. Over the next few hours, is that low moves out into the north sea, the showers they do way, pressurises overnight across the uk, meaning the winds will for light with clear skies. Not a cold night though, temperatures 10 14dc for most of us. The sunday, and i started the day. Early morning hazy sunshine in the picture for scotland, england and wales but the Northern Ireland will cloud over with that mix of rain developing here through the morning, and turning heavy with strengthening south westerly winds pushing that rain on and probably cumbria and the isle of man as we head through the afternoon as well. Southwards and eastwards of this it stays largely dry but it will turn cloudy as we go to the afternoon, still with sunny spells around, temperatures should reach 24 celsius, but the rain will continue to come down overnight into monday, affecting these Western Areas of scotland, and those totals really building up, we could see localised surface water causing issues. Away from that band of rain, rising pressure and temperatures in quite a lot of sunshine to come as well on monday. As far as the temperatures go, quite rightly, we should see those highs reaching the mid to high 20s across eastern parts of england. Wales warming up to. Eastern scotland into the mid 20s as well. But then into the middle part of the week, it gets even hotter. An area of High Pressure draws up the south easterly winds and temperatures will surge. We could hit 41 in paris and if we do that will be a new all Time Temperature record for the french capital. We get 34 celsius in the Greater London area. Hot weather to come over the next few days. It turns more u nsettled next few days. It turns more unsettled in the north west as we head towards the end of the week. That is your weather. This is bbc news, im lukwesa burak. The headlines at four following the seizure of a british flagged tanker in the gulf, the foreign secretary speaks to his irainian counterpart and expresses his extreme disappointment. We will respond in a way that is considered but robust and we are absolutely clear that if this situation is not resolved quickly, there will be serious consequences. Police in hong kong say theyve seized a large amount of explosives, ahead of a weekend of marches by both pro and anti china demonstrators. England hope to reach their first netball World Cup Final theyre neck and neck against four time winners new zealand. It is one small