The First Woman in Space – Valentina Tereshkova

On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space. At just 26 years old, she made history aboard the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 6. Over nearly three days, she completed 48 orbits of Earth, becoming the youngest woman to complete an orbital spaceflight, a record she still holds. She also remains the only woman to have flown into space alone aboard a spacecraft. 

Before becoming a cosmonaut, the Soviet term for an astronaut, Tereshkova worked in a textile factory and practiced parachuting in her spare time. Her parachuting experience helped her qualify for the Soviet space program, where she was selected for training in 1962. After months of preparation, she was chosen to fly aboard Vostok 6. 

During her mission, Tereshkova recorded observations, conducted tests, and photographed Earth from orbit. Although she was alone in her spacecraft, she communicated by radio with fellow cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, who was orbiting Earth aboard Vostok 5. Tereshkova returned safely on June 19, 1963, parachuting to the ground after leaving her spacecraft. Another 19 years would pass before the second woman, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya, travelled into space in 1982.