Valentina Tereshkova was born to the peasant family on March 6, 1937. Her father was a tractor driver, and mother was employed at a textile factory.

In 1945, when Great Patriotic war ends, young Valentina went to secondary school in Yaroslavl, and finished it in 1953. In 1954 the girl was admitted a part-time student to school for working youth, and at the same time worked at the tyre works to avoid poverty and help her family. Following four years Valentina spent working and studying in light industry college.

While studying, future cosmonaut fell in love with the sky – she attended local aero club and performed 163 parachute dives. However, her dream was flying, and young woman was enrolled in the first female cosmonaut troop, where, among other useful things, she learnt to pilot a plane. Valentina entered cosmonaut troop in March 1962 and quitted it in April 1997.

“There were five women in our troop, and physical exertion was more serious than male cosmonauts had”, recalled Valentina Tereshkova later. However, all candidates were obsessed by finishing preparations and flying to space. Tereshkova was chosen for the mission, and on June 16, 1963 she went to space on the piloted spaceship “Vostok-6”, accompanied by “Vostok-5” spaceship, piloted by Valery Bykovsky. Tereshkova spent 60 hours 50 minutes on the near-earth orbit.

 

 

However, hours, spent in space, were hardly the happiest in Valentina’s life. The flight was a dangerous venture – no one could predict its effects on female organism. “Vostok-6” had a very small cabin – a cosmonaut, tightly packed into a space suit, could hardly move. Almost three days on the orbit – a very brave deed for a young woman. Valentina’s dream came true, but her flight could have ended a tragedy – return calculations were wrong. Young woman noticed that error and reported about it to the flight control centre, where her return path was corrected.

After the historic flight Valentina Tereshkova continued her training in the cosmonaut troop, but switched to social work. She traveled a lot across the USSR and other countries of the world. Together with training and social activities Tereshkova entered Military and Engineering Academy and left it in 1696 with diploma of honours and specialty “aviator-cosmonaut-engineer”.

Since 1968 Tereshkova was involved in activities of many Soviet and, later, Russian nonprofit organizations. Valentina Tereshkova did a lot of good for Soviet women. Since 1987 the cosmonaut became responsible for international exchange and cooperation in various fields, mainly culture and science. In 1997 Valentina Tereshkova retired from military forces as aviation major general.

Valentina Tereshkova is a PhD in technical sciences, professor, and author of over 50 scientific works. First female cosmonaut has numerous orders and medals of various countries and an honorary citizen of many cities of Russia, Belarus, Switzerland, France, Great Britain, Italy and etc. A crater on the Moon bears her name.

Source: RIA Novosti

Kizilova Anna