Women in Space

• 1959:  Geraldine (Jerrie) Cobb was the first woman in the U.S. to undergo astronaut testing, however, NASA cancelled the women’s program in July 1961.
• June 1963: Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the First Woman in Space. She flew on the Vostok 5 mission which was launched on June 16, 1963. It orbited the Earth 48 times and the flight lasted 2.95 days.
• August 1982: Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya was the second woman in space. She flew aboard Soyuz T-7 which was launched August 19, 1982.
• June 1983: Sally Ride was the First American Woman in Space and third woman in space. She flew on the shuttle Challenger STS-7 mission from June 18-June 24, 1983.
• July 1984: Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya was the First Woman to Walk in Space on July 17, 1984 aboard the Soyuz T-12. Her spacewalk lasted 3.58 hours. She was also the first woman to go to space twice (in 1982 and 1984).
• August 1984: Judith Resnick was the Second American Woman in Space. She flew on the shuttle Discovery STS-41D mission in August 30-September 5, 1984.
• October 1984: Kathryn Sullivan was First American Female Spacewalker. She flew on Challenger STS-41G on October 5, 1984.
  
• January 1986: Christa McAuliffe was chosen to be first teacher in space. She died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986.
• October 1984: Helen Sharman was the first British astronaut in space when she flew aboard the Russian space craft Soyuz TM-12 on May 18, 1991.
• January 1992: Roberta Bondar was the First Canadian Woman in Space. She flew on the shuttle Discovery STS-42 Mission, January 22-30, 1992.
• September 1992: Mae Jemison was the First Black Woman in Space during shuttle Endeavor STS-47 Mission, September 12-20, 1992. She was a Mission Specialist.
• April 1993: Ellen Ochoa was the First Hispanic American Woman in Space. She flew as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery STS-56 mission.
• July 1994: Chiaki Mukai was the First Japanese Woman in Space. She flew on Shuttle Columbia STS-56 mission, 8-23 July, 1994.
• February 1995: Eileen Collins was the First Woman Pilot of a Space Shuttle.
• September 1996: Shannon Lucid returns from six months aboard the Mir Space Station, setting space endurance record for women and U.S. space endurance record.
• May 1999: Susan Helms was the First Woman Crew Member of the International Space Station.
• July 1999: Eileen Collins was the First Woman to fly as a Space Shuttle Commander.
• October 2001: Claudie Haigneré was the First European Woman to visit the International Space Station.
• February 2003: Dr. Kalpana Chawla and Dr. Laurel Clark died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003.
• February 2003: Dr. Kalpana Chawla and Dr. Laurel Clark died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003.
• August 2007: Barbara Morgan was the first teacher to travel into space on Space Shuttle STS-118.

Did you know?

– In 1991, British Chemist Helen Sharman flew to Mir Space Station for a week long stay after answering a newspaper advertisement. ” Astronaut wanted – no experience necessary”.

Books

• Cool Careers for Girls in Air and Space by Ceel Pasternak, Linda Thornburg
• Space for Women: A History of Women With the Right Stuff by Pamela S. Freni
• Women Astronauts (Apogee Books) by Laura Woodbines
• More Books in the dedicated page on Space Women.

Have some Space Fun!

• Browse our Space Shop – it has Space Books, Space Posters, Space Magazines and more.
  
• Read a sample of AeroSpaceGuide’s Emailed Newsletter which has Update News and Space Information.
  
• Visit our Space Projects Yahoo! Club. – Add your comments on women in space and other space issues.
  
• Test your General Space Knowledge with the Space Quiz.

<>Women in Space Links:</>

• Astronaut Bio: Eileen Collins:
• Aviation Museum: International Women’s Air & Space Museum:
• International Women’s Air & Space Museum:
• Mwades Women of Space:
• NASA: Women’s Outreach Initiative:
• Mercury 13 Women:
• Mercury 13: The Women of the Mercury Era:
• Society of Women Engineers Space Coast Section:
• Space Chronicle: Women in Space:
• The Ninety-Nines: The Mercury 13 Story:
• Valentina Tereshkova:
• Women of NASA:
• Who were the Mercury 13 and What was their Purpose?:
• Womeninaerospace.org:
• Women in American Space Flight:
• Women in Aviation and Space History:
• Women in Space: Astronauts and Cosmonauts:
• Women’s Enviable Place in Space History:

Women in Science and Technology Links:

• Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology:

Reference:

• Space Chronicle: Women in Space:
• Astronaut Bio: Eileen Collins

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