Valentina Ponomaryova facts for kids

Valentina Leonidovna Ponomaryova (Russian: Валентина Леонидовна Пономарёва, born September 18, 1933 – died November 8, 2023) was a brave Soviet cosmonaut, a skilled pilot, and a smart scientist. She was one of the first women chosen to train for space travel, hoping to be among the first women in space.

Who Was Valentina Ponomaryova?

Valentina Ponomaryova was born in Moscow, which was then part of the Soviet Union. She was a very bright student and finished school with top honors in 1951. Later, she studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute, graduating in 1957. She also continued her studies at the Zhukovsky-Academy in 1967.

Becoming a Cosmonaut

In 1961, the Soviet government decided to select women to become cosmonauts. Their goal was to make sure the first woman in space would be from the Soviet Union. In February 1962, Valentina Ponomaryova was chosen as one of five women for this special training.

The group went through many months of intense training. They had to pass tough exams in November 1962. After this, the four remaining candidates, including Valentina, became Junior Lieutenants in the Soviet Air Force.

The Race to Space

Valentina Ponomaryova quickly became one of the top candidates. She trained alongside Valentina Tereshkova and Irina Solovyova. The original plan was for two women to fly into space on separate Vostok missions, one day after the other.

Valentina Tereshkova was chosen to be the very first woman in space on Vostok 5. Valentina Ponomaryova was set to follow her on Vostok 6. However, things changed. Some leaders felt uneasy because Valentina Ponomaryova spoke her mind in interviews. This was not always what the Soviet government wanted to hear.

So, in March 1963, the flight plan was changed. Vostok 5 would now carry a male cosmonaut, Valery Bykovsky. Valentina Tereshkova would still fly on Vostok 6 in June 1963. Irina Solovyova became Tereshkova's backup, and Valentina Ponomaryova was a "second backup." This meant she was still part of the team but less likely to fly.

Life After Cosmonaut Training

Even though she didn't get to fly into space, Valentina Ponomaryova stayed with the space program until 1969. She was considered for other missions, like a flight around the Moon on a Soyuz spacecraft in 1965. However, delays with the Soyuz spacecraft led to that mission being canceled. She was also meant to lead an all-female crew on a ten-day mission aboard Voskhod 5, but this program was also canceled.

Valentina retired from the cosmonaut program in 1969. It became clear there were no immediate plans for women to fly on Soyuz missions.

After her time as a cosmonaut, Valentina Ponomaryova worked at the Gagarin Training Center. There, she focused on orbital mechanics, which is about how spacecraft move in space. Later, she became a research scientist at the Institute of Natural Historic Sciences. In 1974, she earned a special science degree.

In 1972, she married Yuri Ponomaryov, who was also a cosmonaut. They had two children together. Like Valentina, Yuri also trained as a cosmonaut but did not fly into space.

Valentina Ponomaryova passed away on November 8, 2023, at the age of 90.

See also

In Spanish: Valentina Ponomariova para niños