Blast off! Why has astronaut Helen Sharman been written out of history?

Helen Sharman became the first Brit in space 25 years ago. She talks about those incredible eight days, withdrawing from the public eye - and whether Tim Peake stole her thunder

When she dreams of space - as she still does from time to time - Helen Sharman sees how blue the Earth looks from 200 miles up.

"You can't imagine how deep the colour is," she says. "And the detail: you can see continents, but also the wake of a ship. And, at night, the lights of cities shine up to you. There was a window where I slept, and waking up to the world right outside ... wonderful."