First British Astronaut
Helen Sharman - The First British Astronaut
Helen Sharman, at only 27 years old, made history on May 18th, 1991, as the first British astronaut to travel to space through Project Juno, a private British space program. She was hand-picked from a pool of over 13,000 applicants for the mission.
How did Helen Sharman become an astronaut
In June 1989, while driving home from her job at Mars, Helen Sharman heard an advert on the radio for Project Juno: "Astronaut wanted, no experience necessary." She wasted no time in applying and faced aptitude tests, physical exams, and psychological assessments, competing against more than 13,000 candidates.
In a recent interview, Helen mentioned that it was not just the opportunity to go to space that attracted her, but also the training, which included living in Russia, learning the language, and advanced mechanics. It was a way out of the rat race for her. She went to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, for 18 months, where she trained alongside Major Timothy Mace, the other candidate initially selected. Helen made learning Russian her top priority. During her time in Star City, she realized that the standard space suits were too large for her as they were designed for men. A suit tailored to her exact measurements was created for Project Juno, and it is now on display at the Science Museum in London.
After rigorous physical, mental, and linguistic training for 18 months, Helen was selected as the "prime astronaut." On May 18th, 1991, she left Earth aboard a Soyuz spacecraft and became the first British astronaut to go to space.
What did Helen Sharman do in space?
While in space, Helen Sharman was assigned various tasks, such as conducting medical, agricultural, and chemical experiments, materials testing, Earth observation work, and operating an amateur radio link with British school students. She even carried some seeds into space to investigate the effects of space travel on them, which she brought back to Earth for a UK-wide experiment. Coping with risk and adapting to a new working environment required teamwork and was essential for the success of the mission.
Helen Sharman Post Space Career
She was born in Sheffield, attended local schools, and studied chemistry at the University of Sheffield. After graduating, she worked in research and development for GEC in London and later for Mars Confectionery in Slough. Following her return from space, Helen spent many years promoting science and its benefits through public speaking, radio and television presentations, and organizing science events.
Helen has worked as a manager at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, Kingston University London, and Imperial College London. Currently, she serves as the UK Outreach Ambassador for Imperial College London. While Helen has not returned to space, she shares the same desire as other astronauts to be weightless and experience the camaraderie and breath taking views.
In addition to science communication and public speaking engagements, Helen serves as President of the Institute of Science and Technology and is a Royal Osteoporosis Society Ambassador. She enjoys running, hill and mountain walking, circuit training classes, yoga, listening to music, and playing the piano and saxophone. Her interests include linguistics, social evolution, and all other aspects of science.
