IT was a science lesson which was literally out of this world. 

GCSE physics students at Ulverston Victoria High School marked Major Tim Peake's historic spacewalk by watching the mission live on NASA TV from their classroom, while also learning about the principles of circular motion and gravity. 

The Year 11 Group were amazed to see the Major Peake become the first official British astronaut to walk in space after leaving the International Space Station to repair a broken power unit.

They were then also impressed to watch their teacher Alaric Thompson demonstrating circular motion with a bucket of water experiment. 

The water does not fall out of the bucket in the same way the astronauts don't fall out of space.  

The crew of ISS are not weightless while in orbit, nor is there ‘zero gravity’. The ISS, its crew and everything on board are in free fall which simulates the effect of having no gravity. 

Mr Thompson, a fellow of the Ogden Trust for physics, said: "The students had asked if they would be able to watch the spacewalk, they are very knowledgable about the mission and science in general. 

There is a buzz around Tim Peake's mission.  

Circular motion is part of the GCSE physics course and and the ISS are doing circular motion and orbiting so this ties ion so well with the syllabus 

"The European Space Agency and NASA have fantastic educational resources."    

Student Leah Potts, 15, said: "I was already interested in astrophysics and astronomy before Tim Peake went to the ISS so this has added to what I have learnt. I'm interested to do with anything about space.

"It's brilliant how the spacewalk has been tied into our lesson. 

"It's inspiring more people about physics. I want to do a degree and possibly a PhD in physics." 

Classmate Benjamin McKenna, 15, said: "It was great to see the spacewalk in our lesson and link it to our learning.

I want to do physics at A-Level and I want to be an engineer so I'm interested in Tim Peake's background

"It's really interesting to know there are six people up there on the ISS, when there around seven billion of us on the planet, it's a really big thing that Tim Peake is doing for Britain."

Excitingly UVHS has been accepted to receive some seeds from space that Major Peake will be sending back to Earth so that schools can carry out experiments on them. 

Major Peake said it was "a privilege" and "proud moment" to accompany his NASA colleague Colonel Tim Kopra, on the six-and-a-half-hour operation. The British astronaut is on six-month mission at the ISS. 

Viewers of the feed saw a point-of-view perspective from helmet cameras as the two astronauts negotiated their way along the exterior of the station.

From Earth, spectators took to Twitter to express amazement and wish the astronauts good luck. Sir Paul McCartney wrote: "We're all watching, no pressure! Wishing you a happy stroll outdoors in the universe." 

Earlier, Prime Minister David Cameron posted: "Good luck to @astro_timpeake on today's #spacewalk. The country will be watching you make history #ScienceIsGREAT".