The first woman in space, ”Cinderella of the Stars” was born into a peasant family and worked at a textile factory after finishing evening school.
In June 1963, the whole world heard about the Russian “Chaika” (Seagull), Valentina Tereshkova’s call sign.
The first woman in space, ”Cinderella of the Stars” was born into a peasant family and worked at a textile factory after finishing evening school.
While working and earning an education at a technical school by correspondence, Valentina dreamed of the heavens. She learned how to skydive at a local aero-club, completing 163 jumps.
“There were only five women in our group, but the workload was more than the men’s,” Tereshkova explains, saying the training was extremely rough at that time. “But each of us was obsessed with the crazy idea of completing the training with brilliant results and of making a spaceflight.”
Valentina Tereshkova became a cosmonaut in 1962 and retired in 1997.
Her dream came true, but the spaceflight which brought her world fame could have ended in tragedy.
The first woman was launched into space from Baikonur Space Center aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft on June 16, 1963. The flight lasted three days.
Upon completion of her daring space mission, Tereshkova was awarded with an honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Photo: Yury Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova.
Photo: Yury Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova.
In 1997, Air Force General Valentina Tereshkova retired.
In 2000, Valentina Tereshkova was named “Greatest Woman Achiever of the Century” by the British Women of the Year Association.
