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Her first encounter with the space trip was to make a cardboard rocket at school to mark the first lunar landings when she was seven years old.
Helen Sharman knew that 20 years later, she would follow the footsteps of NASA's heroes.
She was a chemist working for Mars confectionery when she was selected from 13,000 candidates for the Juno project.
It was a British private mission to put a Briton in space by paying the Soviet Union for a seat on one of his flights to Mir Station.
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(Image: Getty)
After 18 months of training she became the first woman to visit Mir, 27, May 1991.
During her eight days in orbit, she photographed Britain and performed medical and agricultural tests.
As the US Space Agency marks its 60th birthday, Helen, 55, proudly returns to her story and how she helped pave the way for her journey into space.
She said, "It's important that people go further than ever. We always need to push our limits as human beings.
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(Image: PA)
NASA has come a long way. Their main role is to explore, not only to send things or people in the space, but also to discover the universe. "And while their goals are similar to those of other space agencies around the world, their communications about space travel in general are the best in the world."
Since its inception in 1958, NASA – # 39; National Administration of Aeronautics and Space – has brought to light the wonders of the universe.
The world was seized by his The first steps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon in 1969 to the incredible images of the red planet were transmitted by the rovers of Mars in recent years
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(Image: PA)
found evidence of water on Mars, studied supernovae, explosive stars and black holes, and even tried to look under the surface of a comet .
But for Helen, it's the Hubble Space Telescope that imposes itself as one of the most remarkable.
Launched in 1990, a year before Helen's own mission, the telescope's position on the other side of the earth's atmosphere gave us the first clear views of the universe beyond our galaxy. technical, "said Helen, a native of Yorkshire, who now works as director of operations for the chemistry department of Imperial College London.
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"What we saw through this telescope is amazing. He really opened what is there.
"And to this day, it still captures the imagination because the quality of these images is beautiful."
Helen, who was made CMG by the Queen at Windsor Castle earlier She believes that NASA will continue to explore beyond our planet for the next 60 years.
She stressed that NASA should honor its own strengths and aim for more collaborative projects such as the International Space Station and the Hubble Telescope.
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(Image: Getty)
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(Image: Getty)
she adds that NASA must give way to private commercial space companies such as Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and America's SpaceX to allow it to continue its groundbreaking work.
She said, "There was initial reluctance and snobbies, they think NASA thinks nobody can do it better than them, but they have to give space to commercial space travel companies.
"NASA should welcome these partnerships.
"They can make day-to-day tricks – from the supply of the ISS, which they do now, to space hotels.
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"This frees funds from NASA for real serious exploration, like sending humans to Mars and carrying out international collaborative projects that will tell us so much about the universe. "
NASA has achieved many things in the six decades since the launch of its first satellite, Explorer 1, In 1958, Helen encourages future generations to turn to the stars and dream of what they can also accomplish.
"I never expected to be an astronaut," she said.
"I have lived a very normal life.
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(Image: Getty)
"Now that I've done it myself, I realize just because no one else has it This does not mean that you can not.
"You can be the first."
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