Helen Sharman
A chemist selected from a radio contest, she broke barriers to become the first British astronaut and a passionate advocate for science.
Born 1963 (age 63)·British chemist and cosmonaut·Birthday: May 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Helen Sharman's journey to the stars began not in a military test pilot program, but with a radio advertisement. In 1989, the young chemist working for Mars Confectionery heard a call for astronaut applicants for a British-Soviet mission. From 13,000 respondents, she was chosen, embarking on two years of grueling training at Star City outside Moscow. In May 1991, aboard Soyuz TM-12, she rocketed to the Mir space station, becoming the first British person in space. Her eight-day mission was a milestone, not just for Britain but for Western women in spaceflight, preceding NASA's female astronauts on Mir by years. Upon returning to Earth, Sharman stepped away from the space agency path, returning to her scientific roots. She has since dedicated her life to public outreach, using her extraordinary experience to demystify science for children and to argue for the fundamental role of curiosity and experimentation in society.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Helen was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Helen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Helen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first British astronaut and the first Western European woman in space during her mission to the Mir station in May 1991.
- Her flight was the first privately funded (non-government) space mission for a woman.
- Conducted a series of scientific experiments in materials science, agriculture, and human biology aboard the Mir space station.
- Awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples by the Soviet Union and appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Did You Know?
She was selected for the mission 'Project Juno' after responding to a radio ad that said, "Astronaut wanted. No experience necessary."
Before becoming an astronaut, she worked as a research engineer for the candy company Mars, Inc., working on the properties of chocolate.
An asteroid, 14928 Sharman, is named in her honor.
She is a accomplished musician, playing the piano, flute, and guitar, and took a small keyboard to Mir.
“"I think it's human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, really; it's an imperative."”
