Valentina Tereshkova
Pioneering Russian cosmonaut, the first woman in Earth orbit.
Chronology: 1937-03-06 – Present
Origins & Early Life
Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova (born 6 March 1937) is a Russian engineer, politician, and former Soviet cosmonaut. She was the first woman in space, having flown a solo mission on Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963. She orbited the Earth 48 times, spent almost three days in space, and is the only woman to have been on a solo space mission. She is the last surviving Vostok programme cosmonaut.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
At just twenty-six years old at the time of her spaceflight, she remains the youngest and first woman to orbit Earth. During her cosmonaut career, Tereshkova entered the political arena, serving in the Supreme Soviet from 1966 to 1989. Since 2011, she serves as a Member of the State Duma. Before her selection for the Soviet space programme, Tereshkova was a textile factory worker and an amateur skydiver. She joined the Air Force as part of the Cosmonaut Corps and was commissioned as an officer after completing her training.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
After the dissolution of the first group of female cosmonauts in 1969, Tereshkova remained in the space programme as a cosmonaut instructor. She later graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy and re-qualified for spaceflight, but never went to space again. She retired...
Source: Wikipedia