First Briton in space wows Exeter students

Students from a number of schools in the Exeter area were treated to an extremely rare talk when Dr. Helen Sharman OBE, the first Briton in space, delivered a fascinating lecture at the city’s Belmont Chapel on Tuesday 3 November.

The British astronaut who was working for Mars confectionary, on the team who launched Mars Ice Cream, was travelling home from work one evening when she heard an advert on the radio calling out for wannabe astronauts. After a gruelling selection process, Sharman was chosen from 13,000 applicants and sent to Star City in Russia for 18 months of highly specialised training.

On 18 May 1991, the then 27-year old was blasted into space with her two Russian colleagues on a mission that would see her orbiting the earth sixteen times in just one day at speeds of 17,500 miles per hour – the equivalent of Exeter to London in 10 seconds.

“I hope I have proven that if you use opportunities in life, you sometimes get to achieve things that are outside your wildest dreams and imagination when you are at school. Learning the basics now, so you can actually apply them later on when those opportunities come up is so terribly important. If I can now inspire people to look forward in their own lives then that, to me, is a job well done!”

The fascinating talk, attended by over 400 school children, was organised by The Maynard School in memory of the late Gill Bailey, a much-loved former Head of Physics.

When asked if being the first Briton in space had changed her in any way, befittingly Helen replied: “Space just confirmed to me the importance of family and friends.”