Tatyana Kuznetsova facts for kids
Tatyana Dmitryevna Kuznetsova (Татьяна Дмитриевна Кузнецова) was a brave Soviet cosmonaut. She was born on July 14, 1941, and passed away on August 28, 2018. Tatyana was the youngest person ever chosen for a human spaceflight program by any government.
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Early Life and Parachuting
Tatyana Kuznetsova was born in Moscow in 1941. After finishing her secondary school in 1958, she learned typing and shorthand. Her first job was in 1959 as a stenographer. She worked for the Ministry of Radioelectronic Industry in Moscow. Later, she held secretarial jobs at other government research places.
As a teenager in 1958, Tatyana started parachuting as a fun activity. She quickly became very good at it. By 1961, she was a champion in both her region and the whole country. In 1964, she even became a parachuting instructor. Her amazing skills and courage in parachuting helped her get noticed.
Becoming a Cosmonaut Trainee
In December 1961, the Soviet government decided to choose female cosmonaut trainees. Their goal was to make sure the first woman in space was from the Soviet Union. In February 1962, Tatyana Kuznetsova was picked from over 400 people. She joined a group of five women who would train to fly alone in a Vostok spacecraft.
Even though she was only 20 years old, her talent in parachuting impressed the people choosing cosmonauts. At the start of her training, many thought Tatyana would be the first woman to go to space. However, the training was very hard, both physically and emotionally. By late summer 1962, she faced some difficulties and was removed from the training program for a short time.
Later Cosmonaut Training and Retirement
Despite her earlier challenges, Tatyana Kuznetsova was called back to cosmonaut training in January 1965. This time, she was preparing for a spaceflight called Voskhod 5. This mission was planned to have two women on board. Sadly, the project was canceled before Tatyana had the chance to fly into space.
Tatyana finally left the cosmonaut program in 1969. It became clear that no women would be part of future Soviet space flights. However, she stayed at the training center. She helped with scientific experiments about Earth's physics. From 1979, she served in the Air Force Reserves. She rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel before she retired in 1991.
Tatyana Kuznetsova passed away on August 28, 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Tatiana Kuznetsova para niños
