Sixty years ago, a small rocket launched from a remote site in the former Soviet Union, taking Valentina Tereshkova on a multi-day mission to Earth’s orbit and securing her place in history as the first woman in space.
Her mission, made possible by a humble spacecraft known as Vostok-3KA, included an impressive 48 trips around Earth before returning home via a parachute landing. From liftoff on June 16, 1963, to landing, Tereshkova spent two days, 22 hours, and 50 minutes in space.
