Britain's first astronaut inspires school's pupils
Helen Sharman spent eight days in space when she was 27
- Published
Children at a school in Bradford have been left "inspired" by a visit from the first Briton in space, who originally hails from Yorkshire.
In 1991, Sheffield-born Helen Sharman was the first woman to visit the Russian Mir Space station.
On Friday, the astronaut, now 60, visited Iqra Primary Academy in Bradford, after accepting an invitation from pupils as part of British Science Week.
Maria Mehrin, the school's lead for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, said one of the classes had now been named after Ms Sharman.
"One of the things we've done in our school is to name every class after a scientist or an engineer and one of our classes is named Sharman," she said.
A class has been named after Helen Sharman at Iqra Primary Academy
When Ms Sharman was 27, she spent a total of eight days in space, taking part in the Anglo-Russian Juno Project.
She told the children at Iqra Primary Academy in Manningham that she was working for confectioners Mars when she heard of "this amazing new opportunity to be the first British astronaut".
"A new space mission had been created and they were looking for applicants and I almost didn't apply, because I didn't think they'd choose me," she said.
"Then I thought, 'I've got to have a go at that. What an amazing opportunity'."
As the successful candidate, she spent over a week on the Mir space station, having been blasted there in a rocket with two others after training in Star City, Moscow.
'So inspiring'
Helen Sharman now tours schools promoting the sciences to young people.
Ms Mehrin said the prospect of the astronaut's visit had left the school's pupils very excited.
"The children were like, 'please miss, she's so inspiring, we really want to meet her, she's from Sheffield so she's quite local'.
"It was really the children who pushed this idea," she added.
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Helen Sharman tours schools promoting the sciences young people