The secret hidden for nearly 50 years of the first woman to fly into space

The secret hidden for nearly 50 years of the first woman to fly into space in Russia - During the historic flight on the Vostok 6 spacecraft, female astronaut Valentina Tereshkova thought she would not be able to return to Earth.

Turn passion into advantage

Valentina Tereshkova was born in 1937 to a peasant family in a small village in central Russia. Her father died during World War II when she was 2 years old, leaving her mother to raise Tereshkova and her siblings alone, according to the NASA website.

She started working at a young age to help support her family, first as a textile worker and then as a factory assembly worker.

Despite her difficult circumstances, Tereshkova was an intelligent student, especially fond of parachuting and passionate about exploring aviation. In 1959, Tereshkova joined the Youth Union and quickly became an excellent parachutist.

The secret hidden for nearly 50 years of the first woman to fly into space - 1 — Tereshkova's interest in skydiving gave her an edge in the auditions.

After the flight of astronaut Gagarin - the world's first person to fly into space (April 12, 1961), the Soviet Union decided to send a female representative into space with strict criteria, including knowing how to parachute.

Tereshkova impressed the selection committee by performing more than 120 jumps. She beat 400 other candidates and was selected to participate in this historic mission.

Tereshkova underwent rigorous physical and psychological training, including simulated zero-gravity spaceflight and survival training. She was also instructed in spacecraft navigation techniques and astronomy.

Secret buried for nearly half a century

After witnessing the launch of Vostok 5 on June 14, 1963, Tereshkova was ready to prepare for her own flight two days later.

On June 16, 1963, Tereshkova boarded the Vostok 6 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The mission was a resounding success as Tereshkova circled the Earth 48 times in 3 days, covering a total distance of nearly 2.5 million kilometers.

She also conducted a series of scientific experiments, including testing the effects of weightlessness on the human body.

However, there was one mystery that was only revealed much later. Before her 70th birthday, Tereshkova revealed for the first time that there were some technical problems that made her think she would not return to Earth, according to RT News channel.

"There was an incorrect detail in the ship's automatic program. The program was supposed to orient the ship towards the ground, but instead it flew towards orbit. I couldn't make contact with the ground, and with each flight, the ship got further and further away from the ground."

Only on the second day, after scientists had entered new data into the program, was the flight trajectory revised. Tereshkova landed safely.

The secret hidden for nearly 50 years of the first woman to fly into space - 2 — The Vostok 6 mission on June 16, 1963 marked a turning point in the world aerospace industry.

Become a feminist icon

Tereshkova's space flight attracted worldwide attention at the time. She proved that women could perform the same tasks as men.

In India, Tereshkova is seen as a "feminist role model with a message of hope for women," according to The Washington Post.

She also paved the way for Svetlana Savitskaya to become the second woman to travel to space in 1982.

Valentina Tereshkova and the legendary ship Vostok 6, she became one of the symbols of women in the world in the 20th century. At the age of 26, Valentina Tereshkova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. After that, she graduated with honors and became a professor at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy.

She was the first Soviet woman to be promoted to Major General of the Air Force and a member of the Cosmonautics Corps (1962-1997). In 1979, Tereshkova visited Vietnam as President of the Soviet Women's Union. She was awarded the title Hero of Labor by the Vietnamese State.

Valentina Tereshkova was also a member of the World Peace Council and was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal. Her name is given to a volcano on the Moon, an asteroid, as well as a series of streets in and outside Russia.

Today, at the age of 86, she is still enthusiastically contributing as a member of the State Duma (Russian Parliament) since 2011 and is a living testament to those who dare to pursue their dreams regardless of gender barriers.

(Source: Vietnamnet/NASA/RT News channel/The Washing)

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