Svetlana Savitskaya
| Svetlana Savitskaya | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Cosmonaut | |
| Nationality | Soviet / Russian |
| Born |
August 8, 1948 Moscow, Soviet Union |
Other names | Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya |
Other occupation | Flight engineer |
Time in space | 19 days 17 hours 06 minutes |
| Selection | 1980 (Female Group 2) |
Total EVAs | 1 |
Total EVA time | 3 hours 35 minutes |
| Missions |
Salyut 7-EP2 (Soyuz T-7 up, Soyuz T-5 down), |
Mission insignia |
 |
| Awards |
 |
Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya (Russian: Светла́на Евге́ньевна Сави́цкая; born August 8, 1948) is a former Soviet aviator and cosmonaut who flew aboard Soyuz T-7 in 1982, becoming the second woman in space some 19 years after Valentina Tereshkova.
Biography
She became the first woman to perform a space walk on July 25, 1984. She 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.[1][2] Of the 57 Soviet/Russian spacewalkers through 2010, she is the only female. She is the daughter of Soviet military commander Yevgeniy Savitskiy. She is married, with one child, a son born 1986.[3]
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. The asteroid 4118 Sveta is named for her.[4]
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.
She is a member of the State Duma representing the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. She presently serves as Deputy Chair of the Committee on Defense, and is also a member of the Coordination council presidium of the National Patriotic Union.[5]
Honours and awards
- Hero of the Soviet Union, twice (1982, 1984)
- Orders of Lenin, twice (1982, 1984)
- Order of the Badge of Honour (1976)
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" (12 April 2011) - for great achievements in the field of research, development and utilization of outer space, many years of honest work, public activities
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
- Honoured Master of Sports
- Gold Medal and 18 degrees FAI
- 16 gold medals, sports of the USSR
- Special medal for the women's world record stay in space
Savitskaya was one of five cosmonauts selected to raise the Russian flag at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ "Biographies of USSR / Russian Cosmonauts". Space Facts. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ↑ "Space welding anniversary!". Orbiter-Forum. Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ↑ . Brighthub http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/21373.aspx. Retrieved April 12, 2014. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Volume 1. New York: Springer. p. 352. ISBN 3-540-00238-3.
- ↑ Role in Russian State Duma
- ↑ "The XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014 has opened with a grand show". www.Sochi2014.com. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
External links
- Interview shortly before her 1995 election to the State Duma
- 2010 interview with The Voice of Russia radio website