The first female astronaut to go to space was Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut. She launched on June 16, 1963, aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft. Tereshkova became the first woman to fly in space, completing 48 orbits around the Earth over nearly three days. Her mission was groundbreaking as she proved that women could handle the physical and psychological rigors of space travel. Tereshkova went on to have a successful career in the Soviet space program and has been an advocate for women in science and technology throughout her life, inspiring generations of future astronauts.