This week marks the 6^th annual Women of Aviation Worldwide Week which aims to foster gender balance in the air and space industry. Here at the IET Aerospace Network we are celebrating by taking a look at some of the inspiring women of the aerospace industry.



 

For the final day of Women of Aviation Week 2016 we are celebrating Valentina Tereshkova (1937 – ongoing). Tereshkova was a Russian cosmonaut who was the first woman to have flown in space. She was selected from more than four-hundred applicants to pilot Vostok 6. Tereshkova was also inducted into the Soviet Air Force.

 

For her role as pilot for Vostok 6, Tereshkova orbited the earth forty-eight times; spending nearly three days in space. In that one mission she clocked more flight time than all of the American astronauts before that date combined.



 

Tereshekova went on to study at Zhukovsy Air Force Academy and graduated as a cosmonaut engineer, she then continued to earn a doctorate in engineering. Dedicated to humanities quest to explore space, she offered to go on a one-way trip to Mars.

 

Every day this week we will be looking at a remarkable woman in aerospace, join our community to keep up-to-date.


What women do you think have been pioneers in the aviation and space industries?

#WOAW2016 @IET_Aerospace