By Dr. Sian Proctor and Jennifer Muntz

Photo: Uplifting Women in STEM Event on the Tenth International Day of Women and Girls in Science, February 11, 2025. Credit: Antonio Peronace.

“We Go Together” – The Story of Women in Space

In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to launch into the cosmos. She spent three days orbiting Earth, proving that space wasn’t just a man’s game. But then… nothing. The next woman, Svetlana Savitskaya, didn’t fly until 1982—nearly twenty years later.

For decades, space was seen as a place for men with “the right stuff”—a boys’ club of fighter pilots and engineers. Women who trained just as hard and dreamed just as big were left waiting on the ground. The first generation of female astronauts had to fight for every mission, every spacewalk, and every leadership role. But when they finally got their shot, they proved what should have been obvious all along: they belonged.

Sian Proctor, the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft, captured the essence of this journey best:

Space isn’t just about rockets and technology. It’s about us—who we choose to send, whose stories we elevate, and how we inspire the next generation to see themselves among the stars.

For the hundred women who have flown in space, the journey hasn’t been just about reaching orbit. It’s been about breaking barriers, defying expectations, and making sure that when humanity reaches for the stars, everyone gets to come along.

The Pioneers Who Pushed Open the Airlock

The first women to reach space and breakdown barriers did so under intense scrutiny.

• Sally Ride (1983) became the first American woman in space and was asked if she would need makeup in space. (She did not.)
• Eileen Collins (1995) became the first female shuttle pilot after decades of resistance to putting a woman at the controls.
• Peggy Whitson (2002, 2007, 2016, 2023) broke records with 675 days in space, proving that multiple space missions for women can be the norm.
• Jessica Meir & Christina Koch (2019) – First all-female spacewalk. Because fixing a space station shouldn’t be just a boys’ club.

These women weren’t just proving that they could survive in space—they were proving they could thrive in it. They led spacewalks, commanded missions, and stayed on orbit for months at a time, laying the foundation for today’s generation of space travelers.

A Changing Landscape

When Valentina Tereshkova launched in 1963, the idea of civilians flying to space was pure science fiction. Today, artists, educators, and even cancer survivors have flown beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

• Anousheh Ansari (2006) – First woman private astronaut and first Iranian in space. Opening the door for successful women from non-space nations to chase their space dreams. 
• Hayley Arceneaux (2021) – Childhood cancer survivor turned astronaut. Because space is for everyone.
• Rayyanah Barnawi (2023) – First Saudi woman in space, proving the stars belong to all of us.
• Sarah Gillis (2024) – First woman commercial spacewalk, showing that all aspects of human space exploration can be performed by private citizens.

Each mission has added a new voice, a new dream, and a new reason to believe that our future among the stars will be built by everyone, for everyone.

The 100th Woman: A Milestone in Human Spaceflight

On November 22, 2024, Emily Calandrelli became the 100th woman to fly to space. Known to many as The Space Gal, Emily has spent her career making space and science accessible to the public. As a science communicator, engineer, and advocate for women in STEM, her journey beyond Earth was not just a personal milestone but a symbolic one: a sign that spaceflight is no longer limited to a select few, but opening to those who inspire, educate, and push humanity forward.

When the first woman flew, the question wasn’t whether women could succeed in space—it was whether they would be allowed to. It took six decades, but the milestone of 100 women in space proves that those doors are no longer just cracked open; they are wide open.

For the next generation, the 100th woman isn’t an endpoint. She is a waypoint. The next frontier isn’t just flying to space—it’s living there, leading missions, and redefining what’s possible for everyone who dares to dream beyond our atmosphere.

Final Thoughts: Space For All

From Tereshkova to Calandrelli, from private astronaut to career astronauts, every woman who has flown has opened the airlock a little wider for the next generation.

The first 100 were the trailblazers. The next 100 will be the ones who build the future—on the Moon, on Mars, and beyond.

So the next time someone asks “Who belongs in space?” the answer is simple:

All of us.