Women In Space

Women have made significant contributions to space exploration over the years. Collect information about any two women in space. 

1. Valentina Tereshkova:

Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut, became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963. She orbited the Earth 48 times in the Vostok 6 spacecraft. Her historic flight opened the door for women in space exploration.

2. Sally Ride:

Sally Ride was the first American woman to travel to space. She flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983, during the STS-7 mission. Ride's journey inspired many young girls to pursue careers in science and engineering.

3. Mae Jemison:

Mae Jemison made history in 1992 when she became the first African American woman in space. She flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-47 mission. Jemison is not only an astronaut but also a physician, engineer, and educator.

4. Eileen Collins:

Eileen Collins was the first female Space Shuttle pilot and the first female Space Shuttle commander. She commanded the STS-93 mission in 1999 and later the STS-114 mission in 2005, which was the first Shuttle flight after the Columbia disaster.

5. Peggy Whitson:

Peggy Whitson is an American astronaut who holds several records, including the longest cumulative time spent in space by an American astronaut. She has completed multiple missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and is known for her contributions to space science.

6. Christina Koch and Jessica Meir:

In 2019, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir participated in the first all-female spacewalk, conducting critical repairs on the ISS. This historic event highlighted the progress made in gender equality in space exploration.

7. Kalpana Chawla: 

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut who tragically lost her life in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. She became the first woman of Indian descent in space during her first mission, STS-87, in 1997.

8. Svetlana Savitskaya: 

Svetlana Savitskaya, a Soviet cosmonaut, was the second woman to travel to space and the first woman to perform a spacewalk in 1984. Her spacewalk demonstrated that women could perform complex tasks in the weightlessness of space.

9. Helen Sharman: 

Helen Sharman, a British chemist, became the first British astronaut and the first woman to visit the Mir space station in 1991 as part of the Soyuz TM-12 mission. Her journey inspired a new generation of space enthusiasts in the United Kingdom

10. Yelena Kondakova: 

Yelena Kondakova was the second Russian woman in space and participated in several long-duration missions on the Mir space station. She spent a total of 178 days in space, contributing to scientific research and space station operations.