Forty-five years ago a girl from a small Russian village made history by becoming the first woman in space. Valentina Tereshkova paved the way for others to follow and is still revered as a Russian heroine.

Tereshkova never expected to become a cosmonaut. But she did have a passion for parachuting and that made her a natural candidate for the programme. She was finally selected out of more than 400 contenders.

On June 16, 1963 Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to go into space. The three-day mission changed her life forever and set a precedent for women all over the world.

Although Tereshkova never went back into orbit, she’s remained a prominent figure in Russian space exploration, and has also played an important role in Russian politics.

Now 71 and retired, she keeps her public appearances to a minimum. But earlier this year she was at the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakstan, to see the 50th woman blast off into space.

To this day, Tershkova is admired and revered as a trailblazer. Her importance in the space exploration pantheon is perhaps only surpassed by the first man in space, Yuri Gargarin.