born March 6, 1937, Maslennikovo, Russia, U.S.S.R.
Russian cosmonaut.
An accomplished parachutist, she was accepted for the cosmonaut program in 1961. In 1963 she became the first woman in space, making 48 orbits in 71 hours aboard Vostok 6. She left the program after her flight and served in various governmental positions until the early 1990s. She was named a hero of the Soviet Union and twice awarded the Order of Lenin.