Svetlana Savitskaya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Svetlana Savitskaya
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| Светлана Савицкая | |
Savitskaya in 2018
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| Member of the State Duma (Party List Seat) | |
| Assumed office 29 December 2003 |
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| Member of the State Duma for Moscow Oblast | |
| In office 17 January 1996 – 29 December 2003 |
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| Preceded by | constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Dmitry Sablin |
| Constituency | Sergiyev Posad (No. 113) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 August 1948 Moscow, RSFSR, USSR |
| Political party | |
| Spouse | Viktor Khatkovsky |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents |
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| Education |
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| Occupation |
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| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union (2) |
| Signature |  |
| Space career | |
| Cosmonaut (retired) | |
| Rank | Major |
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Time in space
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19 days 17 hours 6 minutes |
| Selection | 1980 (Female Group 2) |
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Total EVAs
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1 |
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Total EVA time
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3 hours 35 minutes |
| Missions |
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Mission insignia
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Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya (Russian: Светла́на Евге́ньевна Сави́цкая) was born on August 8, 1948. She is a famous Russian aviator and a former Soviet cosmonaut. Svetlana made history as the second woman to travel to space aboard Soyuz T-7 in 1982. Later, on her 1984 Soyuz T-12 mission, she became the first woman to fly to space twice. She also achieved another incredible feat: she was the first woman to perform a spacewalk.
Svetlana Savitskaya also set many FAI world records as a pilot.
Contents
Svetlana Savitskaya: A Pioneer in Space
Early Life and Flying Adventures
Svetlana Savitskaya grew up in a family with a strong connection to aviation. Her father, Yevgeny Savitsky, was a highly respected fighter pilot during World War II. He later became a top leader in the Soviet Air Defense.
When she was 16, Svetlana secretly started parachuting. Her father found out when he saw a parachute knife in her school bag. Instead of being upset, he encouraged her passion. By her seventeenth birthday, she had already completed 450 parachute jumps! She even set records for high-altitude jumps from 13,800 meters and 14,250 meters. Throughout her flying career, she set three world records for stratosphere jumps and 15 world records from jet planes.
After finishing school in 1966, Svetlana joined the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). There, she also took flight lessons and became a licensed flight instructor in 1971. After graduating from MAI in 1972, she trained to become a test pilot. She completed this training in 1976. In 1978, she started working as a test pilot for the Yakovlev aircraft company. She was the first woman to fly a MiG-25 aircraft at an amazing speed of 2,683 kilometers per hour.
From 1969 to 1977, Svetlana was part of the Soviet national team for aerobatics. This is a type of flying that involves performing stunts in the air. In 1970, she won a world championship with an all-female team. A British journalist even nicknamed her "Miss Sensation" because of her incredible skills.
Becoming a Cosmonaut
In 1979, Svetlana Savitskaya joined the selection process to become a cosmonaut. On June 30, 1980, she was officially chosen for the cosmonaut group. She was the only test pilot among the nine women selected. She successfully passed all her exams in February 1982.
First Journey to Space: Soyuz T-7
In December 1981, Svetlana began preparing for her first trip to space. This mission was a short visit to the Salyut 7 space station. She served as a research cosmonaut. The goal was to show Soviet achievements in space and to replace a spacecraft at the station.
On August 19, 1982, the Soyuz T-7 spacecraft launched. This made Svetlana Savitskaya the second woman ever to go to space. The first was Valentina Tereshkova, 19 years earlier. The next day, the three cosmonauts docked with the Salyut 7 space station. They were welcomed by the crew already living there. This was a special moment because it was the first time a space station had a crew with both men and women. Svetlana returned to Earth on August 27, 1982. Her first mission lasted 7 days, 21 hours, and 52 minutes.
Making History: The First Woman's Spacewalk
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In December 1983, Svetlana was chosen for her second space mission. This mission would include an EVA, which is also known as a spacewalk. Svetlana was selected because of her vast flying experience and her physical strength. These qualities were important for working in a heavy space suit for many hours. She served as the flight engineer for this mission.
The mission, again to Salyut 7, involved bringing special tools to the station. These tools would help the resident crew repair a fuel line.
On July 17, 1984, Svetlana launched aboard Soyuz T-12. Her crewmates were Commander Vladimir Dzhanibekov and research cosmonaut Igor Volk. On July 25, 1984, Svetlana Savitskaya made history. She became the first woman to perform a spacewalk! She spent 3 hours and 35 minutes outside the Salyut 7 space station. During her spacewalk, she worked with her colleague Vladimir Dzhanibekov to cut and weld metals in space. They were testing a special tool called the Universal Hand Tool (URI). This tool could cut, solder, weld, and braze materials in space. Svetlana performed several tests, including cutting titanium and stainless steel.
Svetlana Savitskaya remains the only Soviet or Russian woman to have ever walked in space. Her mission lasted 11 days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes.
A Planned All-Female Mission
After her second flight, Svetlana was considered to command an all-female Soyuz crew to the Salyut 7 space station. This mission was planned to celebrate International Women's Day. However, this flight was eventually canceled due to technical problems with the space station and a shortage of spacecraft. Later, a new plan to fly to the Mir space station was also put on hold because Svetlana became pregnant with her son in 1986.
Life After Space Missions
After her space missions, Svetlana Savitskaya continued to contribute to aviation and space. She is married and has a son named Konstantin, who was born in 1986. In February 1986, she also graduated from the Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School. From 1983 to 1994, she worked as a Deputy Head at NPO Energia, a major space company.
Svetlana also became involved in politics. She was elected as a representative for the USSR in 1989 and for Russia in 1990. She held these positions until 1992. In 1993, she retired from the Russian Air Force as a Major. In 1994 and 1995, she worked as an assistant professor in Economics and Investment at the Moscow State Aviation Institute. In 1996, she was elected as a deputy of the State Duma, representing the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. She has been re-elected several times since then and continues to serve as a Member of Parliament.
Awards and Recognition
Svetlana Savitskaya has received many important awards for her bravery and achievements:
- She was honored twice as a Hero of the Soviet Union (in 1982 and 1984). This is one of the highest awards in the Soviet Union.
- She received the Orders of Lenin twice (1982, 1984).
- She was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honour (1976).
- She received the Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" in 2011.
- She holds the title of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR.
- She is an Honoured Master of Sports.
- She earned a Gold Medal and 18 degrees from the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale).
- She also won 16 gold medals in sports in the USSR.
- She received a special medal for setting a women's world record for time spent in space.
- She was named an Honorary Citizen of Baikonur in 1982.
Svetlana Savitskaya was also one of five cosmonauts chosen to raise the Russian flag at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
An asteroid, 4118 Sveta, is named after her!
See also
In Spanish: Svetlana Savítskaya para niños
- List of female spacefarers
- List of female Heroes of the Soviet Union
