This Week in Science History: First Woman in Space

On June 19, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova (the first woman in space) returned to Earth after spending almost three days in space. Valentina piloted the Vostok 6 and orbited Earth 48 times. She never made a second trip to space. Upon her return, she was given the title Hero of the Soviet Union. She later received the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal. In 1969, Tereshkova graduated with distinction from the Zhukovsky Military Air Academy. She later became a member of the Communist Party, and proceeded to represent the USSR at numerous international events, including the United Nations conference for the International Women’s Year in 1975. From 1968-1987, Tereshkova headed the Soviet Committee for Women, was pictured on postage stamps, and had a crater on the moon named after her.

Read more at: https://www.space.com/21571-valentina-tereshkova.html