The Guardian has a piece today about Tim Peake, the second Briton in space. Tim is quoted as saying ” Helen Sharman was the first Brit in space back in ’91, but they’re calling me the first official Brit in space because I’m the first UK government astronaut, if you like. Helen’s was a kind of private, commercial-sponsored flight.” Helen Sharman was the first Briton in space in 1991 when she was just 27. She beat 13,000 other Brits to become the first Brit in space and spent 18 months training in Star City, before her 7 days in space. What a remarkable woman! 
I read and loved Helen’s book “Seize the moment” and read it when it came out. It is a really straightforward, modest and genuine account of Helen’s life and the whole story thru training and selection to actually being in space. I find it offensive and mysogynist that The Guardian article on Tim Peake has the misleading headline “First Brit in space Tim Peake…”. We should be proud that early on in the space game we selected a woman from 13,000 applicants, shouldn’t we? We do cool, radical things in the UK occasionally, choosing a woman to be Britons first person in space is one of those things. Can any other country boast the same? 
Helen Sharman should be a well known British icon, but most people have never heard of her. A fabulous woman in STEM. Let’s change that, please do whatever you can to promote Helen and her achievements. #1stbritinspace