A look back to how Sheffield reacted to historic Apollo moon walk - and the Sheffielder who went into space
With billionaires taking on their own space race these days, here we look back at the US Apollo 11 Moon landing that enthralled the world 52 years ago this month.
By Julia Armstrong
Published 17th Jul 2021, 10:41 BST
The US mission to walk on the Moon in July 1969 gripped millions of us who watched history being made on our TV sets, fascinated by the often blurry black and white images and the excited explanations of presenter James Burke.
SheffielderHelen Sharman remembered her dad trying to impress upon her the importance of what was happening as a six-year-old. She would go on to be the very first Briton in space, decades ahead of Tim Peake, and the first woman to visit the Mir space station in 1991.
Pupilks at Dr John Bingham School in Batemoor built their own planetarium, model rockets, control base and the replica of the Apollo 11 command module seen here with Stephen Bloomer, aged 11, inside. The module even had a phone system! Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
Sheffield High School for Girls held an Astronaut Training Day on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight in July 2019. Pictured doing the moon walk are pupil Julia Hufton and finance director Iain Kane Photo: Steve Ellis
Helen Sharman and Timothy Mace, a Major in the Army Air Corps, who were chosen as the two Britons to go to the Soviet Union to train for the Anglo-Soviet Juno Space Mission. Helen got the job! Photo: PA