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Valentina Tereshkova

Russian cosmonaut and pilot, first woman to have flown in space (born 1937) · Russia · Astronauts

Valentina Tereshkova is read about 2,847 times a day, in 117 languages.

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She orbited Earth 48 times alone in 1963 - the first woman in space, the youngest ever to do it, and still the only one to fly solo. A textile worker and amateur skydiver at 26, launched into a record no one else has matched.

Historical FiguresOtherSpace ExplorationPolitics20th Century

A life in dates

2023Order of GagarinAward2019“As launch day drew closer, some of the women suspected they would not be chosen.”In their words12 April 2019The First Group of Female Cosmonauts Were Trained to Conquer the Final Frontier, By Uliana Malashenko, Smithsonianmag.com (12 April 2019)

2018“Tereshkova logged more than 70 hours in space and made 48 orbits of Earth. Soviet and European TV viewers saw her smiling face and her logbook floating in front of her.”In their words22 January 2018Valentina Tereshkova: First Woman in Space By Tim Sharp, Space.com (22 January 2018)

2017“We believed each of us was worthy of being chosen... There is a bond, a comradeship, that never goes away. (about the five women who competed for the 1963 space mission)...”In their words29 March 2017The first woman in space: 'People shouldn’t waste money on wars', by Mary Dejevsk, The Guardian, (29 March 2017)

2015“While in space, Ms Tereshkova spoke directly with Khrushchev, reporting that "all systems are working perfectly" and that she felt "excellent".”In their words17 September 2015Valentina Tereshkova: USSR was 'worried' about women in space By Pallab Ghosh, BBC News, (17 September 2015)

2013Order of Alexander NevskyAward2011Member of the State DumaOffice2008Member of the Yaroslavl Oblast DumaOffice2008-20112007“The story of the peasant’s daughter who became a household name thanks to communism’s achievements made her a role model for young Soviet women.”In their words6 March 2007First woman in space dreams of flying to Mars, Reuters, (6 March 2007)

2003Order of HonourAward2000“A Bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without active participation of women...”In their wordsQuoted in International Womens' Day: Lesser known quotes by strongest women from pre-2000 Some strong quotes on gender equality that have

1989people's deputy of union of socialist soviet republicsOffice1989-19911987Order of the Red Banner of LabourAward1981Order of LeninAward1974Order of Ana BetancourtAwardMember of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSROffice1974-19891972Order of Bernardo O'HigginsAward1971Order of the NileAward1966Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet UnionOffice1966-19891965Order of the Flag of the People's Republic of HungaryAward1963Hero of LabourAwardHero of the Soviet UnionAwardOrder of Karl MarxAwardOrder of the Cross of Grunwald, 1st classAwardStar of the Republic of IndonesiaAward1937Born6 March 1937

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

1st meeting of 8th State Duma 071st meeting of 8th State Duma 07Этнокосмологический музей 5Этнокосмологический музей 5Air Force academy - Valentina TereshkovaAir Force academy - Valentina TereshkovaCDAiK Forel hydrocostumeCDAiK Forel hydrocostumeChorzow cosmonauts stoneChorzow cosmonauts stoneMar06 March ValentinaMar06 March ValentinaMar6 Woman of the DayMar6 Woman of the DayMural a l'escola Montsagre (Horta de Sant Joan)Mural a l'escola Montsagre (Horta de Sant Joan)

In their own words 10

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Valentina Tereshkova
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10 statements, newest first

  1. Many of the women on the squad described Valentina Tereshkova as a good friend. “She always advocated for our interests in front of the bosses.

    Apr 12, 2019, The First Group of Female Cosmonauts Were Trained to Conquer the Final Frontier, By Uliana Malashenko, Smithsonianmag.com (12 April 2019), Own words

  2. As launch day drew closer, some of the women suspected they would not be chosen.

    Apr 12, 2019, The First Group of Female Cosmonauts Were Trained to Conquer the Final Frontier, By Uliana Malashenko, Smithsonianmag.com (12 April 2019), Own words

  3. Tereshkova logged more than 70 hours in space and made 48 orbits of Earth. Soviet and European TV viewers saw her smiling face and her logbook floating in front of her.

    Jan 22, 2018, Valentina Tereshkova: First Woman in Space By Tim Sharp, Space.com (22 January 2018), Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Order of Gagarin2023
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class2022
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 1st class2017
Order of Alexander Nevsky2013
Order of Friendship2011
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class2007
Order of Honour2003
Order of Duke Branimir2003
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class1997
Order of the Red Banner of Labour1987
International Space Hall of Fame1985
Order of Lenin1981
Order of the Star of Ethiopia1981
Order of the Sun of Peru1974
Order of Playa Girón1974
Order of Ana Betancourt1974
Scientific Merit Order1973
Order of Bernardo O'Higgins1972
Order of the Yugoslav Flag1972
Order of the October Revolution1971
Order of the Nile1971
Order of Culture1969
Order of the Star of Jordan1969
Order of Sukhbaatar1965
Order of the Flag of the People's Republic of Hungary1965
Order of the Volta1964
Order of Lenin1963
Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR1963
Hero of the Soviet Union1963
Order of Karl Marx1963
Order of Georgi Dimitrov1963
Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 1st class1963
Order of Klement Gottwald1963
Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR1963
Hero of Socialist Labour of Czechoslovakia1963
Hero of Socialist Labour of Bulgaria1963
Hero of Labour1963
Order of Tri Shakti Patta1963
Star of the Republic of Indonesia1963
Order of Friendship of Peoples

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About this person

Valentina Tereshkova was born 6 March 1937 and worked in a textile factory while skydiving on the side before the Soviet space programme recruited her. On 16 June 1963, at 26, she flew Vostok 6 solo, spent nearly three days in orbit, and became the first woman in space. After the first female cosmonaut group dissolved in 1969, she stayed on as an instructor, graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy, re-qualified for flight but never launched again, and retired from the Air Force in 1997 as a major general. She held political office under the Soviet Union - including a seat on the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1974 to 1989 - lost two Duma races after the collapse, then won a regional seat in 2008 and a national one in 2011. In 2022, she voted for the invasion of Ukraine.

Country
Russia
Category
Astronauts
Type
Astronaut
Status
living
Dates
Born 1937 · age 89

Astronauts from Russia 6

Yuri Gagarin84.6Oleg Artemyev69.8Sergey Volkov51.8Sergey Teteryatnikov51.7Yuri Guidzenko51.0Anatoli Ivanishin49.5

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