First Woman Walks in Space
The historic event of the first woman walking in space occurred on July 25, 1984, when cosmonaut Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya of the Soviet Union conducted her space walk from the Salyut 7 space station. Born on August 8, 1948, in Moscow, Savitskaya was inspired by her father, a World War II hero and Soviet flying ace, to pursue aviation. After initial rejections from pilot schools, she became a skilled parachutist and later graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute. Throughout her career as a cosmonaut from 1980 to 1993, she accumulated nearly 20 hours in space and set several world speed records as a pilot. During her groundbreaking space walk, which lasted 3.58 hours, Savitskaya conducted welding experiments. This mission was significant not only for its technical achievements but also for its cultural impact, representing a milestone for women in the field of space exploration. Although her subsequent missions were canceled, including a planned all-female crew launch, Savitskaya remained an influential figure, even serving as a member of the Soviet parliament in 1989. Her legacy continues to inspire future generations in science and aviation.
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First Woman Walks in Space
First Woman Walks in Space
The first space walk by a woman took place on July 25, 1984, by cosmonaut Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya of the former Soviet Union, from the Salyut 7 space station.
Savitskaya was born in Moscow on August 8, 1948, the daughter of the Soviet flying ace Yeveniy Savistky, the deputy commander of the Soviet Air Defenses and a World War II hero. She inherited her father's passion for flight, and after being rejected by pilot schools at the age of 16, Savitskaya began parachute jumping and logged 450 jumps by age 17. When she turned 18 she entered the Moscow Aviation Institute, and in her career as a pilot, which began upon her graduation in 1972, she set numerous world speed records in supersonic and turbo-prop aircraft.
Savitskaya was a cosmonaut from 1980 to 1993 and spent 19.71 hours in space. Accompanying her on the 1984 Salyut 7 mission were cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Igor Petrovich Volk. Her historic space walk lasted for 3.58 hours, during which she conducted welding experiments. This would be Savitskaya's last space flight, as her subsequent missions were canceled, including the launch of an all-female crew which was to take off on International Woman's Day, April 3, 1986. In 1989, while still part of the cosmonaut corps, she also served as a member of the Soviet parliament.