The day of the first woman in space – level 2

16-06-1963

In 1963, the Soviets wanted to show the world who was the best. They wanted to send the first woman to space.

There were 400 female candidates. Five women were chosen for the training. The training was very hard. For a long time, it wasn’t clear which of the women would eventually become the first woman in space. In the end, Valentina Tereshkova was chosen.

On June 16, 1963, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Tereshkova was put inside Vostok 6. The spacecraft went to space without problems, and Tereshkova became the first woman who saw the Earth from space. It was a beautiful sight for her. She went around the Earth 48 times. She spent 2 days and 22 hours in space.

On June 19, the spacecraft went down into the atmosphere. Tereshkova catapulted and landed in Kazakhstan. The success of her mission meant another Soviet victory in the Space Race with the United States.

Difficult words: female (a woman), eventually (in the end), spacecraft (a plane or vehicle which travels in space), sight (what you see), catapult (to throw quickly into the air), Space Race (a competition between the Soviet Union and the United States to go to space).

What challenges did Valentina Tereshkova face in becoming the first woman in space and how did she overcome them?

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