Aliens may 'already be here on earth' according to Sheffield-born astronaut

Speaking to the Observer Magazine, Dr Helen Sharman said: "Aliens exist, there's no two ways about it. There are so many billions of stars out there in the universe that there must be all sorts of different forms of life."

She added that although they may not be made up of carbon and nitrogen like humans, "it's possible they're here right now and we simply can't see them".

Dr Sharman, 56, made history when she participated in a mission to the Soviet modular space station Mir in May 1991.

In the interview, she highlighted how she is often referred to as the first British woman in space, rather than simply the first Briton.

"It's telling that we would otherwise assume it was a man," she said.

"When Tim Peake went into space, some people simply forgot about me. A man going first would be the norm, so I'm thrilled that I got to upset that order."

Dr Sharman studied at the University of Sheffield in her hometown, before going on to do a PhD in London and working as a chemist.

She broke records when she went to space in 1991, visiting the Mir Space Station as part of Project Juno.

Dr Sharman was selected for the mission live on ITV, on 25 November 1989, ahead of almost 13,000 other applicants.