New Female Astronauts Show Evolution of Women in Space
Half of the newest astronauts are female, but that wasn't always the case.
Headlines around the world have touted the gender parity.
It's "one giant leap for womankind," the Houston Business Journal proclaimed.
"Now that's what I'm talking about," tweeted a senior adviser to the President.
"One small step for woman," said the Daily Mail.
Or a giant leap, maybe. It was this week, 50 years ago, that cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova lifted off in the Vostok 6 to become the first woman in space. (Related video: "Women in Space.")
When she returned to Earth, Life Magazine declared, "She Orbits Over the Sex Barrier," describing Tereshkova as a "blue-eyed blonde with a new hairdo [starring] in a Russian space spectacular." Other publications described her as a "Russian blond" and a "pleasant-looking, gray-eyed, athletic young woman."
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