Valentina tereshkova recording mystery
On 16 June , Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. On a solo mission on the Vostok 6, she orbited Earth 48 times, logging more than 70 hours in space just under 3 days.
With that single flight, Tereshkova logged more flight time than the all the US Mercury astronauts who had flown to that date combined.
Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, had orbited the earth once; the US Mercury astronauts had orbited a total of 36 times.
Whilst overlooked in notoriety to her male counterparts, Valentina Tereshkova remains the only woman to have been on a solo space mission, and also the youngest woman to have flown in space.
Books about valentina tereshkova facts of life Tereshkova was born on 6 March in the Bolshoye Maslennikovo village on the Volga River, miles northeast of Moscow. Tereshkova left school aged 16 and worked as a textile-factory assembly worker, but continued her education through correspondence courses. Tereshkova, after her flight, continued as an aerospace engineer in the space program. Meanwhile, she took correspondence courses courses taught through the mail and graduated from the Light Industry Technical School.Here are 10 facts about this brave and pioneering woman.
1. Her parents worked on a collective farm, and her father was killed during World War Two
Tereshkova was born on 6 March in the Bolshoye Maslennikovo village on the Volga River, miles northeast of Moscow. Her father was a former tractor driver and her mother worked in a textile factory.
During World War Two, Tereshkovas father was a sergeant tank commander in the Soviet Army, and was killed during the Finnish Winter War.
Tereshkova left school aged 16 and worked as a textile-factory assembly worker, but continued her education through correspondence courses.
2. Her expertise in parachuting led to her selection as a cosmonaut
Interested in parachuting from an early age, Tereshkova trained in skydiving and as a competitive amateur parachutist at her local Aeroclub in her spare time, making her first jump aged 22 on 21 May
After Gagarins successful first spaceflight, 5 women were selected to be trained for a special woman-in-space program to ensure the first woman in space would also be a Soviet citizen.
Despite having no pilot training, Tereshkova volunteered and was accepted into the program in due to her parachute jumps.
Of those selected, only Tereshkova completed a space mission. She joined the Soviet Air Force as part of the Cosmonaut Corps and was commissioned as a Lieutenant after her training (meaning Tereshkova also became the first civilian to fly in space, as technically these were only honorary ranks).
Bykovsky and Tereshkova a few weeks before their space mission, 1 June
Image Credit: RIA Novosti archive, image # / Alexander Mokletsov / CC
Seeing her propaganda potential the daughter of a collective farm worker whod died in the Winter War Khrushchev confirmed her selection.
Valentina tereshkova Toggle navigation. On a solo mission on the Vostok 6, she orbited Earth 48 times, logging more than 70 hours in space — just under 3 days. Their daughter, Yelena Adrianovna Nikolayeva, was born on June 8, She was elected as a member of the Supreme Soviet, the highest legislative body in the country.(Tereshkova became a member of the Communist Party in ).
After the successful launch of Vostok 5 on 14 June by male cosmonaut, Valery Bykovsky, Tereshkovas spacecraft Vostok 6 lifted-off on 16 June, her radio call sign Chaika (seagull). She was promoted to Captain in the Soviet Air Force mid-spaceflight.
Hey sky, take off your hat.
I’m on my way! (Tereshkova upon lift-off)
3. It was falsely claimed shed been too ill and lethargic to conduct planned tests on board
During her flight, Tereshkova maintained a flight log and performed various tests to collect data on her body’s reaction to spaceflight.
Tereshkova only gave her definitive account about the false claims 30 years after the spaceflight, where she denied having been more ill than might be expected or failing to complete the on-board tests.
Her voyage was actually extended from 1 to 3 days at her own request, and the tests had been planned to only be for one day.
Valentina Tereshkova aboard Vostok 6 in June
Image Credit: Russian Federal Space Agency / Alamy
4. It was also falsely claimed she had unreasonably challenged orders
Soon after lift-off, Tereshkova discovered that the settings for her re-entry were incorrect, meaning she would have sped into outer space, rather than back to Earth.
She was eventually sent new settings, but space centre bosses made her swear to secrecy about the mistake. Tereshkova says they kept this secret for 30 years until the person who had made the mistake had died.
5. She had dinner with some local villagers after landing
As planned, Tereshkova ejected from her capsule during its descent around 4 miles above the Earth and landed by parachute near Kazakhstan.
She then had dinner with some local villagers in the Altai Krai region who had invited her after helping her out of her spacesuit, but was later reprimanded for violating the rules and not undergoing medical tests first.
6. She was aged only 26 when she made her space flight, receiving many awards and accolades
After her mission, Tereshkova was named a Hero of the Soviet Union.
Books about valentina tereshkova facts for kids Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: Name:. She was selected as a cosmonaut and piloted the Vostok 6 spacecraft. Against her wishes, she was appointed as leader of the Committee for Soviet Women in Inspired by the flight of Yuri Gagarin — , the first man in space, she volunteered for the Soviet space program.She never flew again, but became a spokesperson for the Soviet Union. While fulfilling this role, she received the United Nations Gold Medal of Peace. She was also twice awarded the Order of Lenin, and the Gold Star Medal.
Along with the Soviet success of sending the first animal (Laika, in ) and Yuri Gagarin becoming the first man in space () Tereshkovas flight registered another win for the Soviets in the early space race.
It was one of the most remarkable achievements in history.
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Watch Now7.
Khrushchev officiated at her first wedding
Tereshkovas first marriage to fellow cosmonaut, Andriyan Nikolayev, on 3 November was encouraged by the space authorities as a fairytale message to the country Soviet leader Khrushchev officiated at the nuptials. Their daughter Elena was the subject of medical interest, being the first child born to parents whod both been exposed to space.
CPSU First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev (left) proposes a toast to the newly-weds Valentina Tereshkova and Andriyan Nikolayev, 3 November
However, this state-sanctioned element of her marriage made it hard when the relationship turned sour.
The split was formalised in , when Tereshkova married surgeon Yuli Shaposhnikov (until his death in ).
8. Despite Tereshkova’s success, it was 19 years before another woman travelled to space
Svetlana Savitskaya, also from the USSR, was the next woman to travel to space in Indeed it took until for the first American woman, Sally Ride, to go to space.
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Watch Now9.Books about valentina tereshkova facts youtube: Tereshkova says they kept this secret for 30 years until the person who had made the mistake had died. Congratulations Russia. She received a standing ovation at the United Nations. Although she had no experience as a pilot, her achievement of parachute jumps gained her a position as a cosmonaut Russian astronaut in
She is politically engaged and is a big fan of Putin
Whilst inititally Tereshkova went on to become test pilot and instructor, following Gagarins death the Soviet space program was not willing to risk losing another hero and had plans for her in politics. Against her wishes, she was appointed as leader of the Committee for Soviet Women in
From Tereshkova was an active member in the USSRs Supreme Soviet.
Tereshkova remained politically active following the Soviet Unions collapse, but twice lost elections to the national State Duma in She became the deputy chair of the Yaroslavl province in , and in and was elected to the national State Duma.
Born in at the peak of Stalins purges, Tereshkova lived through the Soviet Union and its subsequent leaders.
Whilst she recognises the Soviet Union made mistakes, Tereshkova maintains there was a lot of good as well. She consequently doesnt have respect for Gorbachev, is fairly indifferent about Yeltsin, but is a big fan of Putin.
Valentina Tereshkova and Vladimir Putin, 6 March on Tereshkovas 80th birthday.
Image Credit: The Russian Presidential Press and Information Office / / Creative Commons Attribution
“Putin took over a country that was on the brink of disintegration; he rebuilt it, and gave us hope again” she says, calling him a splendid person.
Books about valentina tereshkova facts In truth, however, they were never thought of as the equals of the "regular," that is, male, cosmonauts, and they never received the same quality of flight assignments. She also worked in Soviet politics, feminism, and culture. On 16 June , Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. Also Read: Ellen Ochoa Accomplishments.It appears Putin is also a fan of hers, congratulating her personally on her 70th and 80th birthdays.
She is on record as saying shed volunteer for a one-way trip to Mars
At her 70th birthday celebrations in , she told Putin “If I had money, I would enjoy flying to Mars”. Reconfirming this aged 76, Tereshkova said shed be happy if the mission turns out to be a one-way trip where shed end her life in a tiny colony with a few other Mars dwellers, living on supplies sporadically ferried from Earth.
I want to find out whether there was life there or not.
And if there was, then why did it die out? What sort of catastrophe happened? I am ready.
Vostok 6 capsule (flown ). Photographed at the Science Museum, London, March
Image Credit: Andrew Gray / CC