Historical background
Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut, made history on 16 June 1963 when she became the first woman to fly into space. She piloted the Vostok 6 spacecraft and orbited the Earth 48 times in almost three days. However, she suffered from a serious space sickness. The film footage after her landing clearly shows how badly she was affected by this problem. The pitfalls of space were still largely unknown at the time. Especially the problems with weightlessness. The Soviet doctors therefore mistakenly concluded that women were obviously less able to tolerate weightlessness than men.
The illness does not diminish her monumental achievement. Not only did it mark a significant milestone in space exploration, but it also signalled the inclusion of women in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Tereshkova’s flight was initially a great propaganda success. Around the world, women were encouraged by her achievement to stand up for their rights.