Valentina Tereshkova launched on Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963, becoming the first woman in space. Her mission expanded who had demonstrated the ability to undertake orbital flight, though it did not immediately create equal access to astronaut careers. It belongs here as a milestone in participation as well as flight history. Distinguishing a pioneering mission from sustained inclusion keeps the achievement and its institutional limits in view.

Source: 1963: Valentina Tereshkova flies.

Image credit: RIA Novosti archive, image #616304 / Alexander Mokletsov · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and JPEG compressed.