Preparations for Valentina Tereshkova’s space flight in 1963. A film clip showing cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s preparations for her space flight on 16 June 1963. Film length 3:24. A licence fee of 7 x 30 seconds is charged to acquire a licence for the complete film.
Valentina Tereshkova 1963 preparation for the flight from zb Media Filmproduktion on Vimeo.
The continuation of the film is here.
Historical context
The decision to send Valentina Tereshkova, a woman, into space was influenced by several factors. The race between the United States and the Soviet Union was not only about scientific and technological achievements, but also about ideological superiority. By sending the first woman into space, the Soviet Union wanted to demonstrate its commitment to gender equality and the capabilities of its space programme, setting itself apart from the more conservative gender roles that prevailed in the West at the time.
Tereshkova’s mission was seen as a powerful symbol of gender equality and the capabilities of women in the Soviet Union. In this way, she was able to show that women were just as capable as men of accomplishing challenging and historically significant tasks.
Scientists were interested in studying the effects of space travel on the female body, which differs from the male body in various physiological aspects. By sending a woman into space, valuable data could be collected on how space travel affects female astronauts, which could be important for future missions and space exploration.
Tereshkova’s mission served as an inspiration to women and girls around the world, showing them that even the most ambitious and groundbreaking endeavours were within their reach. She encouraged more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Overall, the decision to send a woman into space was multi-faceted and driven by a combination of scientific curiosity, political motives and a desire to promote gender equality and inspire future generations.
