Helen Sharman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helen Sharman CMG OBE HonFRSC
Sharman in 2015
Born	Helen Patricia Sharman (1963-05-30) 30 May 1963 (age 62) Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Alma mater	University of Sheffield (BSc in 1984) Birkbeck, University of London (Ph.D in 1987)
Occupation	Chemist
Space career
Project Juno cosmonaut {{ }}
Time in space	7d 21h 13m
Selection	1989 Juno
Missions	Soyuz TM-12, Soyuz TM-11
Mission insignia
Signature

Helen Patricia Sharman, born on May 30, 1963, is a British chemist and astronaut. She made history as the first British person and first Western European woman to travel to space. She was also the first woman to visit the Mir space station in May 1991.

Early Life and Education

Helen Sharman was born in Grenoside, Sheffield, England. She went to Grenoside Junior and Infant School. Later, she studied at Jordanthorpe Comprehensive.

She earned a degree in chemistry from the University of Sheffield in 1984. She then received her PhD from Birkbeck, University of London in 1987. After her studies, she worked as a research technologist for GEC in London. She also worked as a chemist for Mars, where she studied chocolate flavors. Because of this, the British press sometimes called her "The Girl from Mars."

Project Juno: A Trip to Space

Helen Sharman heard a radio advertisement looking for the first British person to go to space. She was on her way home from work when she heard it. The ad said, "Astronaut wanted. No experience necessary."

She applied and was chosen live on ITV on November 25, 1989. She was picked from nearly 13,000 other people!

This space program was called Project Juno. It was a joint mission between the Soviet Union and Britain. British companies helped pay for it. The goal was to improve the relationship between the UK and the Soviet Union. This happened during the final years of the Cold War. The plan was to send a British astronaut to the Mir space station.

The Sokol space suit worn by Helen Sharman. You can see it at the National Space Centre in Leicester.

Helen was chosen because of her science background. Her ability to learn a new language was also important. She later said she was more excited about the training than the space flight itself. She enjoyed "living in Russia, learning the language, doing advanced mechanics."

Before her flight, Helen trained for 18 months in Star City, Moscow. This training was very intense. She trained with her British back-up, Major Tim Mace.

The companies funding Project Juno struggled to raise enough money. The mission was almost cancelled. But because the flight was important for international relations, the Soviet Union decided to pay for it. To save money, some less expensive experiments were used instead of the original plans.

The Space Mission

Helen Sharman launched into space on May 18, 1991. She was part of the Soyuz TM-12 mission. The mission also included Soviet cosmonauts Anatoly Artsebarsky and Sergei Krikalev.

Her journey lasted eight days. Most of this time was spent at the Mir space station. While in space, Helen did medical and agricultural tests. She also took photos of the British Isles. She even talked to British schoolchildren using an amateur radio.

She returned to Earth on May 26, 1991, aboard Soyuz TM-11. She landed with Viktor Afanasyev and Musa Manarov. On the launch day, Helen carried a "space passport" with her. This was in case they landed outside Russia. She also brought a butterfly brooch from her father and a photo of Queen Elizabeth II.

Helen was 27 years and 11 months old when she went to space. This made her one of the youngest people to fly in space at that time. She has not returned to space since.

Project Juno was not a mission by the ESA. Because of this, Tim Peake became the first ESA British astronaut more than 20 years later.

For her achievements with Project Juno, Helen Sharman received a star on the Sheffield Walk of Fame.

Helen Sharman broke several records:

Life After Space

After her mission to Mir, Helen Sharman spent eight years sharing science with the public. She wrote her autobiography, Seize the Moment, in 1993. In 1997, she wrote a children's book called The Space Place. She also hosted radio and television shows, including for BBC Schools.

By 2011, she was working at the National Physical Laboratory. She led the Surface and Nanoanalysis Group there. In 2015, she became Operations Manager for the Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London. She continues to do outreach activities about chemistry and her spaceflight.

In August 2016, Helen Sharman appeared as herself in an episode of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.

In January 2020, Helen Sharman said in an interview that "aliens exist." She suggested that "it's possible ... we simply can't see them." This refers to the idea of a shadow biosphere, which means life forms that are not visible to us.

Awards and Recognitions

Helen Sharman's star on the Sheffield Walk of Fame.

Helen Sharman has received many awards and honors. In 1990, she was given the bronze, silver, and gold Medals of the Royal Aero Club.

In 1991, she was chosen to light the flame at the 1991 Summer Universiade in Sheffield. On live international television, she tripped while running. The burning embers fell onto the track. She was encouraged to keep going, even without a flame from the torch. She continued around the track, and the ceremonial flame still lit up.

For her pioneering efforts, Helen Sharman was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1992. The next year, she became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 2018, she was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). This was for her work in science and technology outreach.

On May 26, 1991, the President of the USSR awarded Helen the "Order of Friendship of Peoples." In 1992, she received the Presidents' Medal from the SCI. On April 12, 2011, she was awarded the Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" by the President of the Russian Federation.

The British School in Assen, Netherlands, is named the Helen Sharman School after her. Many other schools have also named houses in her honor. These include Wallington High School for Girls, Bullers Wood School, Great Western Academy, Rugby High School for Girls, Moorlands School, and Notting Hill and Ealing High School.

A street in Stafford, England, is named Helen Sharman Drive. A block of student flats in Sheffield also bears her name.

She has also received several honorary degrees from universities in the UK.

See Also

In Spanish: Helen Sharman para niños