Valentina Tereshkova Space Journey Turns 63 June 16, 2026, marks 63 years since Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space, a moment that changed the history of space exploration and inspired generations of women in science. On June 16, 1963, Tereshkova launched aboard the Soviet Vostok 6 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. She was