0:00:05 > 0:00:06Good morning.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Ayshah here, live from Newsround HQ this Wednesday.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Stay tuned for a programme that's out of this world.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13What Tim Peake is craving to eat when he returns to Earth.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18The new science project searching for aliens.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30First, to the train tunnel that's breaking world records.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32It's the longest and deepest on the planet and it's
0:00:32 > 0:00:35being officially opened in Switzerland today.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37The Gotthard base tunnel is 57 kilometres long
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and took 17 years to build.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Engineers dug deep under the Alps mountain range to make it.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46It will link the Netherlands in Northern Europe
0:00:46 > 0:00:49to Italy in the south.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Now to something else that's massive, the Square
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Kilometre Array project.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56When it's finished, the radio telescope will be the most powerful
0:00:56 > 0:01:00in the world and able to search further into space than ever before,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03but there's one big question scientists hope it will
0:01:03 > 0:01:05help us answer.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Aliens.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Are they really out there?
0:01:25 > 0:01:30And, if so, are we ever going to find them?
0:01:30 > 0:01:32The universe is vast.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Our solar system is one of the solar systems around a sun,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39which is one of the millions of stars in our galaxy.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Our galaxy is one among the millions of galaxies
0:01:41 > 0:01:43in the universe.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44So, why not?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Maybe there is life somewhere in another solar
0:01:46 > 0:01:47system in another galaxy.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52That is what scientists are trying to find out
0:01:52 > 0:01:56with the help of these.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59This is the Square Kilometre Array project.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01When it is finished, it will be the world's most
0:02:01 > 0:02:04powerful radio telescope, so sensitive that it will be able
0:02:04 > 0:02:10to detect a signal from a planet that is tens of light years away.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13These telescopes are listening for intelligent life
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and that is why they have decided to build them here.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19What makes this place in South Africa perfect
0:02:19 > 0:02:23is that there is no radio waves around to mess up the signal.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26That's no microwaves, no mobile phones -
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I've had to turn mine off.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Every day, these dishes are collecting massive amounts
0:02:31 > 0:02:37of data, which will eventually be processed by a supercomputer
0:02:37 > 0:02:44in the UK where experts will look for any signs of life.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46How do you go about looking for alien signals?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Well, you have got big telescopes like that and they can go listen
0:02:49 > 0:02:54in the universe and listen for radio signals from other planets
0:02:54 > 0:02:57where we hope they also have radio signals and maybe we can detect
0:02:57 > 0:02:59some of these signals.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02How would we know that an alien has tried to contact us?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04We are looking for intelligent signals, signals that are not
0:03:04 > 0:03:06from nature but that are made by intelligent creatures.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Will we ever be able to find an alien?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I certainly hope so.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I hope to find them once in my lifetime.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16It would be such a big discovery.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19But it could be very long and it could also take very long
0:03:19 > 0:03:21to communicate with them because the signals take maybe years
0:03:21 > 0:03:25to go to the civilisation and also take years to get back,
0:03:25 > 0:03:32so one simple question and answer could take, like, 40 years.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Of course, there's no guarantee that other civilisations exist
0:03:35 > 0:03:38beyond our world, but, if they do, it might not be long before
0:03:38 > 0:03:43SKA finds them.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Someone who probably has a thing or two to say
0:03:46 > 0:03:47about aliens is Tim Peake.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49The British astronaut has been busy in space.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51He's done a spacewalk, run a marathon and even
0:03:51 > 0:03:54presented a Brit Award.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56He's been talking about returning to Earth in less than three weeks'
0:03:56 > 0:04:00time, including what his first meal back home will be.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The unhealthy version would be pizza.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06A healthy version would be a nice fresh salad with some fresh fruit.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Both, actually, I really crave.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Although I am very conscious of the fact that I do return
0:04:11 > 0:04:14in less than three weeks, we still have an awful lot
0:04:14 > 0:04:15of work to do up here.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18We set have still got one of our cargo vessels,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Cygnus, is still docked at the Space Station.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22We are busy loading that and that will actually
0:04:22 > 0:04:24depart before I depart.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28There are still a lot of things do happen so I take each day at a time.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30There is still science going on on a daily basis.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Of course, I am looking forward to seeing friends and family again
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and I am looking forward to coming back to planet Earth.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39The whole experience has been absolutely incredible and so much
0:04:39 > 0:04:42more than I imagined, but if I did have to pick one thing,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45it would be doing the spacewalk and it would be the first moment
0:04:45 > 0:04:51that I came out of the airlock and Tim Kopra, my Nasa colleague,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and myself, we went outside and did that spacewalk.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56It was an amazing feeling.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I certainly hope that I am not the last UK astronaut
0:04:58 > 0:05:00to fly in space.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I hope there are many UK school kids today who can fulfil an ambition one
0:05:03 > 0:05:06day of becoming an astronaut.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Some quick footie news to finish and England have announced
0:05:09 > 0:05:14who they are sending to France for the 2016 European Championships.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Manchester United's teenage striker Marcus Rashford has been named
0:05:17 > 0:05:19in Roy Hodgson's England squad.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22He only made his professional debut in February, but his great
0:05:22 > 0:05:25performance earned him a call-up.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Superstar Leicester forward Jamie Vardy has also made the cut.
0:05:28 > 0:05:34Wayne Rooney will captain the 23-man England squad.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Crystal Palace midfielder Joe Ledley's been selected
0:05:36 > 0:05:37for the Wales squad.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40He's just returned to training after breaking his leg.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Wales boss Chris Coleman says Ledley should be back for
0:05:43 > 0:05:47the group stages.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49That's all from me and the team this morning.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54Newsround is back with Martin at 4.20pm this afternoon.