Follow the events throughout the afternoon via #Sharman25
Ask your questions to Helen and other astronauts for a post-talk Twitter Q&A via the hashtag #SharmanQnA
‘Astronaut wanted, no experience necessary’
After answering this radio ad in 1989 and then 18 months of intensive training in star City near Moscow, chemist Helen Sharman was selected to be the first Briton in space as part of a business-funded UK-Soviet mission.
Helen, along with fellow crew members Anatoly Artsebarskii and Sergei Krikalev, blasted-off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard Soyuz TM-12 on 18 May 1991. They docked with the Mir space station on 20 May 1991.
While on-board Mir, Helen ran a variety of experiments. The medical and agricultural experiments included observations on seed growth in weightless conditions. She also took pictures of the British Isles and participated in two-way ham radio conversations with British school students.
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Helen’s spaceflight, Imperial College London is hosting the largest gathering of astronauts in the UK ever! About 15 astronauts from the Association of Space Explorers Europe will hold their annual meeting in London, joined by Helen’s former crew mates for a celebration.
IC Outreach is thrilled to be hosting this special schools’ event, which includes a live stream lecture by Dr Simon Foster ‘It is Rocket Science’ followed by a twitter QnA session with the astronauts hosted by Helen Sharman.
11.00am to 11.45am
‘It is Rocket Science’ Lecture – streamed live
Through this talk Dr Simon Foster will bring you and your pupils into the world of the rocket scientist, looking at the first explosive attempts to launch humans into space and answering questions such as:
- What is rocket fuel?
- How do we launch a rocket into space?
- How do humans live in space?
- Will humans ever reach other stars and planets?
With exciting demonstrations and easy explanations, by the end of the talk you too will be able to say, “I am a rocket scientist.”
About the speaker
Dr Simon Foster is the Outreach Officer for the Department of Physics at Imperial. His research investigates sunspots and the role they play in climate change.
Simon became obsessed with rockets (and explosives) as a child and dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Sadly that dream never came true, but he was lucky enough to go to university to study Physics with Space Science, becoming a qualified rocket scientist!
11.45am to 12.45pm
Astronaut QnA – live on Twitter
Tweet and follow #SharmanQnA
Do your pupils have burning questions about living, working and travelling in space? Here’s their opportunity to ask. Tweet your questions to #SharmanQnA
How to get involved
The event will be online and open to all schools.
The live stream lecture will be available on the College’s YouTube channel.
Following the lecture Dr Helen Sharman and her fellow astronauts will be answering questions via twitter. To join the conversation and ask your pupils’ questions you will need access to a twitter account and use the hashtag #SharmanQnA.
If you are unfamiliar with Twitter please use this helpful hints to get yourself start: Tweeter Help for Astronaut QnA
Please note: You should test that your school firewalls don’t hinder access to the above websites prior to the event.
If you have looked at the above links but still have questions, or would like to talk to a member of the team, email us or interact with us on Twitter.
Want to know more?
Have a look at the below links for more information on Helen Sharman, her historic space flight and the Mir space station.
Former astronaut Helen Sharman finds a new space at Imperial
Astronauts discuss living in space ahead of Tim Peake launch (video)