Britain’s First Astronaut on the New Race to the Moon | Helen Sharman

In this episode of 'The World, the Universe and Us,' host Rowan Hooper speaks with Helen Sharman, Britain's first astronaut and a scientist from Imperial College London, about the historic Artemis II mission—the first crewed flight around the moon in over 50 years. Sharman reflects on the tension and triumph of the splashdown, the technical challenges of re-entry, and the emotional resonance of the mission for a new generation. She emphasizes the significance of human presence in space, noting how astronauts' real-time observations—like spotting meteor impacts and subtle color variations on the lunar surface—add unique value beyond what cameras can capture. The discussion expands to the new global space race, now between the U.S. and China, with a focus on the strategic South Pole of the moon, rich in water ice and continuous sunlight. Sharman highlights the economic potential of a lunar economy, estimated in the hundreds of billions by 2040, but warns of the need for international cooperation, especially through frameworks like the Artemis Accords, which currently exclude Russia and China. She advocates for sustainable, collaborative governance of lunar resources, drawing parallels to the successful global effort to protect the ozone layer. The episode concludes with a vision of a shared, peaceful lunar future—where energy, water, and scientific discovery are managed collectively, not exploited competitively.