The first female astronaut was Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut who made history on June 16, 1963. Selected from over four hundred applicants, she flew aboard Vostok 6 and orbited the Earth 48 times, spending nearly three days in space. Tereshkova's mission demonstrated that women could perform equally in space exploration as men. She became an icon in both space and women’s rights, inspiring future generations of female astronauts and scientists. After her spaceflight, she continued to work in the Soviet space program and pursued a career in politics, advocating for women’s issues and space exploration.