Soyuz TM-11 launched 1990

Soyuz TM-11 crew (L-R): Toyohiro Akiyama, Viktor Afanasyev, Musa Manarov

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-11, launched December 2, 1990, was the 11th expedition to the space station Mir.  Its crew consisted of Commander Viktor Afanasyev, Musa Manarov, and Toyohiro Akiyama (a Japanese reporter).  

The cosmonauts remained on board until May 26, 1991, when they returned to Earth with Helen Sharman, a British astronaut.  Akiyama returned to Earth December 10, 1990 aboard Soyuz TM-10.

Happy birthday, British astronaut Dr Helen Sharman!

Helen Sharman, born May 30, 1963 in Yorkshire, England, is the first British cosmonaut and first woman to visit the Mir space station.  She launched aboard Soyuz TM-12 in May 1991.  She was part of Project Juno, a cooperative project sponsored by private enterprises in Britain and by the Soviet government.  Her experiments were mainly life sciences, since she had a PhD in chemistry.  After about 7 days, she returned to Earth May 26 aboard Soyuz TM-11.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Anatoly Artsebarsky!

Anatoly Artsebarsky, born September 9, 1956 in the former Soviet Union, went into space aboard Soyuz TM-12 as commander in May 1991.  He was part of expedition Mir EO-9 with Sergei Krikalev and Helen Sharman, the first Briton in space.  He conducted six spacewalks while on Mir, lasting over 33 hours total. 

During the mission, the failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev occurred which led to the end of the Soviet Union in December.  Artsebarsky returned to Earth in October 1991.

Helen Sharman, first Briton in space 1991

Dr. Helen Sharman, a food chemist for Mars Company in England, answered a radio advertisement to be the first British astronaut, no experience required.

Who knew being an astronaut was a walk-on job?

A mere 18 months after being selected, Sharman blasted off with fellow cosmonauts Anatoly Artsebarsky and Sergei Krikalev in Soyuz TM-12 May 18, 1991.  She spent 8 days in space, conducting medical and agricultural experiments, taking pictures and talking on the radio to school children.  She returned on Soyuz TM-11 with cosmonauts Viktor Afanasyev and Musa Manarov.