h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The First Woman in Space - A87845052
Author: minorvogonpoet - U3099090

This is my entry for the Create Space theme for December.

Just as a note: I've drawn mainly from two websites: www.space.com and www.astronautix.com. The latter is fuller and states that Tereshkova's flight was propaganda, and the largely male Soviet hierachy tried to discredit her. It's difficult to distinguish at this distance between propaganda and truth.

This is great info, but the entry's a bit dry right now.

Could we spice it up a bit with a stronger hook? Make it more exciting? First flights are inherently dramatic, and Valentina did something astonishing here.

For one, thing, I'd put Valentina Tereshkova's name in the title somewhere.

Now, for a hook: how about starting off with the story about how Gherman Titov went to a barbecue at John Glenn's house and found out the Americans were planning to put women in the Mercury program? That the Soviets decided they needed another 'first', so they went recruiting for women who would 'boldly go' - and found themselves an attractive, athletic, and politically sound candidate, since Tereshkova was the daughter of a war hero and a member in good standing of the proletariat?

Here's a link on it:

http://www.astronautix.com/astros/terhkova.htm

Propaganda or no propaganda - and the early Soviet program treated ALL its astronauts like passengers, including Gagarin - this was a really brave thing to do.

You're right, it is a bit dull.

I'll and spice it up a bit.

Hey - the Christian Science Monitor has some good gossip:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0614/First-woman-in-space-Miserable-cosmonaut-or-triumphant-space-flyer

Be sure to click on the Chris Hadfield video on astronaut barf bags, but not at dinnertime.

I enjoyed this entry - Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova and the Glass Ceiling in Space

Couple of thoughts - you've not mentioned Tereshkova's appearance until the last paragraph. Was she particularly beautiful? All I know of her appearance is that she was under 170cm tall and under 70kg in weight (hang on while I translate that - under 5'7" and 11 stone).

You might also want to mention who Kruschev himself is. Was it unusual for him to select cosmonauts?

You also mentioned 'she was the least qualified, as the others included test pilots, world class parachutists and engineers' - was this the least qualified of the initial 58 or the Final Five? I had at first assumed the final five, but with only 4 others and plural use for all other three job descriptions I'm not sure...

I also want to know who it was alleged that Tereskova suffered from psychological difficulties and overwhelming tiredness. I can imagine that if her capsule had a fault, and the last thing the USSR wants to do is say 'Russian space capsules are faulty' so they would want to come up with another explanation as to why the capsule is up longer than normal. However if I was in charge of Russian propaganda, I'd be more inclined to say something like, 'We are extending the mission to prove Russian women's endurance, stamina and resolve to the world' rather than 'Russian women suffer from psychological difficulties and overwhelming tiredness, which slows their ability to complete tasks'. Was it her fellow male cosmonauts discrediting her, as they didn't want to lose their jobs?

<BB<

Thanks for the comments BB .

From what I've read, it seems the cosmonaut chief Kamanin was looking for a likeable young woman, who was also a good communist and was capable of passing all the tests. Tereshkova fitted the bill. I can check these details and try to clarify.

I've added to this, to make it a little spicier and to deal with BB's questions about the reports of Tereshkova's poor performance in space. I've also added a few links.

Beautiful rewrite! You've nailed the essence of what a reader's going to need to know about this story.

And I suspect you're right - if Gagarin had downed a few vodkas with the peasants, nobody would have blinked an eye. So why shouldn't Valentina Tereshkova? You go, girl.

Thanks Dmitri.

Wow a brave woman indeed, thanks for doing this MVP. I think it showed courage to correct a miscalculated orbit, but that no doubt ruffled some feathers.

Thanks Elektra.

Interesting piece! I think it reads very well now, and has definite hooky appeal without overdoing it.

It might be worth saying that whatever the establishment thought, she's always been very well revered by the Soviet/ Russian public. She carried the flag at the Winter Olympics for eg. Her take off quote also seems pretty well known - 'Hey, sky out there! Take off your hat!' in a sort of One small step kind of way and might be worth including. And her political career is still going - she was elected as a Duma parliamentary deputy (like an MP) in 2011. As far as I know she is still there.

Anyway, here's a fairly recent interview with her. What I find interesting about it is the difference between the Guardian account of her wanting to go to Mars and her own words.

http://rbth.co.uk/science_and_tech/2014/09/26/first_woman_in_space_i_very_much_wanted_to_go_to_mars_40147.html

Thanks Solnushka.

That cheerful take-off quote certainly clashes with the allegation that she had to be virtually forced into the spacecraft. I always that unlikely.

I'll tweak this to reflect your suggestions.

This is a good entry. No real suggestions to make.

Its Sandi Toksvig

I'm hoping this is finshed now.

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