Cosmonout Valentina Teresthkova launched in space on Vostok 6 in 1963. Credit: Roscosmosmos
On June 16, 1963, the 26 -year -old Soviet Cosmonout Valentina Testahkova made history becoming the first woman to travel in space. Former factory seamstress, Tureshkova was a skilled amateur parachutist with over 100 jumps – a vital skill, since Vostok Cosmonouts expelled before the landing. Selected by over 400 candidates in 1962, he underwent months of rigorous training, including weightless flights and jet pilot training. His pioneering mission was almost three days long (48 orbits), piloting the spatial vehicle Vostok 6 with the name of the radio call Chaikaor “Seagull”. Years before NASA sent a man to the Moon, Turesthkova’s flight was a significant political and propaganda victory for the Soviet Union.
