July 25, 2014
Categories: Russia, Spacewalk

Today is the 30th anniversary of the first space walk performed by a woman.

It was Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya, a former Soviet aviator and cosmonaut who flew aboard Soyuz T-7 in 1982, becoming the second woman in space 19 years after Valentina Tereshkova.

She became the first woman to perform a space walk on July 25, 1984. It was a historic moment for the world cosmonautics. Svetlana conducted an EVA outside the Salyut 7 space station for 3 hours 35 minutes during which she cut and welded metals in space along with her colleague Vladimir Dzhanibekov. Of the Soviet/Russian spacewalkers for the moment, she is the only female.

She started training as a cosmonaut in 1980. Upon returning to Earth, Savitskaya was assigned as the commander of an all-female Soyuz crew to Salyut 7 in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, a mission that was later canceled.

She was twice awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title.

She was also a test and sports pilot – starting from 1974 she set 18 international world records on MiG aircraft and three records in team parachute jumping. She won first place at the 6th FAI World Aerobatic Championship in 1970.

Savitskaya retired in 1993 from the Russian Air Force with the rank of Major.

 

More from this category:
November 26, 2013

Progress M-21M space vehicle carrying cargos for ISS crews successfully separated from Soyuz booster’ third stage, – Mission Control centre representative reported. “Cargo vehicle successfully…

full story
September 19, 2018

On September 1 7, after the meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission in the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, a pre-flight  press conference of the main and…

full story
June 16, 2014

Soyuz-2.1b booster with Glonass-M space device was successfully launched from Plesetsk spaceport in Arkhangelsk region on June 14, 2014, – reported representative of  Russian Ministry…

full story
April 23, 2013

April 23, 1967 – Soyuz-1 spacecraft was launched into orbit. Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir Komarov was a test pilot. Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov was…

full story
April 17, 2020

According to the International Space Station flight schedule, the transfer hatches between the Zvezda module and Soyuz MS-15 crewed spacecraft were closed at 22:44 UTC…

full story
June 21, 2013

Fragments of a Russian cargo spacecraft that undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) last week splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, mission…

full story
January 16, 2015

Russian rocket producer Energiya has signed a $1 billion contract with US Orbital Sciences Corporation for the delivery of 60 RD-181 engines, the company’s press service said Friday…

full story
October 17, 2016

The specialists have completed all scheduled works to prepare Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft for the launch and future docking with the ISS, – Mission Control Centre…

full story