Which astronaut became the first woman in space when Vostok 6 launched in 1963?

Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space when the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 6 launched on June 16, 1963.

Tereshkova was selected from a group of women parachutists and trained as a cosmonaut. During Vostok 6, she completed 48 orbits of Earth over nearly three days. Her flight took place while Vostok 5, carrying cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, was also in orbit.

Tereshkova’s mission made her the first civilian as well as the first woman to fly in space. She remained the only woman to make a solo spaceflight until the record changed decades later. Her call sign was Chaika, meaning “Seagull.”

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, flying in 1983. Svetlana Savitskaya later became the first woman to perform a spacewalk, in 1984, so these achievements are distinct from Tereshkova’s pioneering flight.