N
The Daily Insight Hub

What did Helen Sharman achieve?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on January 12, 2026

Helen Patricia Sharman, CMG, OBE, HonFRSC (born 30 May 1963) is a chemist and cosmonaut who became the first British person, first Western European woman and first privately funded woman in space, as well as the first woman to visit the Mir space station, in May 1991.

How old is Helen Sharman now?

58 years (May 30, 1963)
Helen Sharman/Age

How many days did Helen Sharman spend in space?

eight days
Helen Sharman spent eight days in space as an astronaut, serving as a crew member on the Russian Mir space station. After a tough 18 months of training on Earth, she travelled out on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Who was the first British astronaut to walk in space?

Timothy Nigel Peake
Tim Peake, in full Timothy Nigel Peake, (born April 7, 1972, Chichester, West Sussex, England), British astronaut and military officer who in 2016, while on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), became the first official British astronaut to walk in space.

Did Helen Sharman walk on the moon?

First British astronaut, Helen Sharman, to walk on the moon at Lichfield Cathedral. She was the first British astronaut in space in 1991 but this summer, Helen Sharman will finally walk on the moon……at Lichfield Cathedral.

What degree did Helen Sharman get?

Find and copy one word which means ‘set off’. 1989 earth visit twinkl.com Page 7 Helen Sharman Helen Sharman was the first British person to go into space! What Did Helen Do before Becoming an Astronaut? Helen gained a degree in Chemistry at the University of Sheffield and a doctorate from Birkbeck College, London.

Why did Helen Sharman have 18 months of training?

She underwent 18 months of rigorous training at the Yury Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre at Star City, Russia. The project was nearly called off because the Juno consortium could not raise the required funding.

Has a British person ever walked on the moon?

Tim Peake has outlined his ambition to become the first British person to walk on the moon amid hopes of securing his second mission into space. The first UK astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) has revealed he is “in the frame” to represent the nation on the lunar surface.

Is the flag still on the Moon?

Current status. Since the nylon flag was purchased from a government catalog, it was not designed to handle the harsh conditions of space. A review of photographs taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) indicates that flags placed during the Apollo 12, 16, and 17 missions were still standing as of 2012.

What did Helen Sharman do on the Mir?

While on board the Mir, Sharman’s tasks included taking photographs of the UK, and agricultural tests. She also took part in an amateur radio transmission with children in a British school. Since the first man went into space in 1961, over 530 people from almost 40 countries have flown in space.

What did Helen Sharman do for space Safari?

Ørsted is incredibly proud to have worked with Helen on our Space Safari project. Helen provided a guided commentary for our virtual space mission; Space Safari. in which she shares her experiences and memories of her time in space.

What was the name of Helen Sharman’s book?

Her books included the autobiography Seize the Moment (1993; written with Christopher Priest). Sharman was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1992. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.

Where did Helen Sharman go to elementary school?

Early life and education. Sharman was born in Grenoside, Sheffield, where she attended Grenoside Junior and Infant School, later moving to Greenhill.