Women’s journey into space

60 years ago, on June 16, 1963, Valentina Terechkova, revolutionized history by boarding the spacecraft Vostok 6, etching her name in the annals of scientific achievement and gender equality.

Tereshkova underwent 18 months of severe training that tested her ability to cope physically with extreme conditions of gravity and to manage situations of emergency and isolation. She spent over 70 hours orbiting the Earth 48 times, alone in her capsule. On the last day of her flight, she communicated by radio with Valery Bykovsky, a fellow cosmonaut whose capsule came within five kilometers hers.

To date, approximately 500 people have flown to space but only 11% were women. Mosthave flown as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program, the rest were from Soviet/Russian and Chinese space programs. The first American woman was Sally Ride and Claudie Haigneré was the first French woman to fly in space. Moreover, Anna Lee Fisher was the first mother in space.

These remarkable women, among others, have pushed the boundaries of human exploration. Their contributions and achievements testify to the potential of women in space.