First British astronaut to orbit Earth reveals how her perspective changed during her eight-day mission as two astronauts remain stranded at the ISS
Astronaut Helen Sharman, 61, went to space in May 1991 at the age of 27
How stranded astronauts are passing the time on the International Space Station - from helping clean the toilets to staying fit with Olympics-inspired weightless workouts
Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut to go to space, has told how she learned what really matters in life during her eight days orbiting Earth in May 1991.
The 61-year-old, from Sheffield, revealed that her perspective changed dramatically, with 'material things' becoming almost irrelevant compared with 'the value of humans and human relationships.'
Helen reflected on her experience in space on ITV's This Morning on Friday.
Her appearance comes after the news that the Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, the two NASA astronauts currently stranded on the International Space Station due to a faulty spacecraft, may not return to Earth until February 2025.
Helen, who was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1992 Birthday Honours, likened the mindset shift that occurred when she was in space to the change in perspective that many people experience after a holiday abroad.
Astronaut Helen Sharman, 61, went to space in May 1991 at the age of 27
How stranded astronauts are passing the time on the International Space Station - from helping clean the toilets to staying fit with Olympics-inspired weightless workouts
Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut to go to space, has told how she learned what really matters in life during her eight days orbiting Earth in May 1991.
The 61-year-old, from Sheffield, revealed that her perspective changed dramatically, with 'material things' becoming almost irrelevant compared with 'the value of humans and human relationships.'
Helen reflected on her experience in space on ITV's This Morning on Friday.
Her appearance comes after the news that the Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, the two NASA astronauts currently stranded on the International Space Station due to a faulty spacecraft, may not return to Earth until February 2025.
Helen, who was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1992 Birthday Honours, likened the mindset shift that occurred when she was in space to the change in perspective that many people experience after a holiday abroad.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00It was looking back on the planet itself and when we look back, we talked about, of course, together, we talked about our families, our friends that we left behind down there.
00:10And when I returned to Earth, I realized that what I had not thought about in space was any of those material items, the physical stuff we aspire to own so much of and show off about quite often.
00:26And that really put material items into perspective compared with the value of humans and human relationships.