Valentina Tereshkova

Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to travel into space, spending almost three days piloting Vostok 6 in 1963-twenty years before Sally Ride became the first American woman to reach orbit. Affectionately known as the "First Lady of Space," Valentina Vladiminirovna "Valya" Tereshkova was born in a small village outside Moscow where she was a textile factory assembly worker and an amateur skydiver. Her skills at parachuting caught the attention of the cosmonaut program and she became one of just five women applicants (out of more than 400) to be recruited and the only one to fly to orbit. She spent almost three days in space, orbiting the Earth 48 times. During this single flight, she logged more flight time than the combined times of all American astronauts who had flown before that date. She became an inspiration to millions of women and was designated a "Hero of the Soviet Union." Inside is her story, told to us in her own words. Contains a number of rare photos.