Svetlana Savitskaya

Svetlana was a brave pilot.

She loved to jump with a parachute. She did this many times. Later, she flew fast jets.

Svetlana went to space in 1982. She was the second woman to do this. She flew to a large station in space.

She went to space again in 1984. This time, she did something new. She went outside the craft.

This was a spacewalk.

She worked in a big space suit. She used tools to fix things. She spent many hours working.

Svetlana was a very skilled pilot. She holds many records. She is a hero to many people.

Svetlana Savitskaya is a famous Russian pilot and cosmonaut. A cosmonaut is a person trained to fly in space.

She loved to jump with a parachute. By her seventeenth birthday, she had made 450 jumps. She even set records by jumping from very high places.

Svetlana became a test pilot. This means she flew new or tricky planes to see how they worked. She flew very fast jets. In 1982, she flew to a space station named Salyut 7. This made her the second woman to ever go to space.

She went to space again in 1984. This time, she did something very special. She performed an extravehicular activity, or EVA. An EVA is a spacewalk where a person goes outside the spacecraft.

She wore a heavy space suit. She worked outside for over three hours. She used a special tool to cut and weld metal. This helped her fix things in space. She was the first woman to ever do a spacewalk.

Svetlana Savitskaya is a famous Russian pilot and cosmonaut. A cosmonaut is a person trained to fly in space.

She was born on August 8, 1948. Her father was a highly decorated fighter pilot. Her mother was a leader in the Communist party. Svetlana loved the thrill of flying from a young age. She began parachuting when she was only 16 years old. By her seventeenth birthday, she had already made 450 jumps. She even set records by jumping from the stratosphere. These are very high parts of the atmosphere.

Svetlana worked very hard to become a great pilot. She graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1972. Later, she trained as a test pilot. A test pilot flies new planes to see how they work. She worked for the aircraft maker Yakovlev starting in 1978. In one MiG-25 aircraft, she reached a speed of 2,683 km/h. She also competed in aerobatics. Aerobatics are special flying moves used in competitions. In 1970, she won a world championship with an all-female team. A journalist even called her "Miss Sensation."

In 1979, Svetlana joined the selection for female cosmonauts. She was officially admitted to the group on June 30, 1980. She was the only test pilot among nine women. On August 19, 1982, she flew on the Soyuz T-7 mission. This trip was to the Salyut 7 space station. This mission made her the second woman in space. She traveled with Leonid Popov and Alexander Serebrov. The mission lasted 7 days, 21 hours, and 52 minutes.

Svetlana went to space a second time in 1984. She flew on the Soyuz T-12 mission on July 17, 1984. This mission was very important for space science. She wanted to perform an extravehicular activity, or EVA. An EVA is a spacewalk outside a spacecraft. On July 25, 1984, she became the first woman to do a spacewalk. She worked outside for 3 hours and 35 minutes. She used a special tool called a URI. This tool could cut, solder, and weld metal in space. She tested it on titanium and stainless steel.

Her many achievements earned her many honors. She was named a Hero of the Soviet Union twice. She also received two Orders of Lenin. Even today, she is remembered for her bravery. An asteroid named 4118 Sveta was named after her. She also helped raise the Russian flag at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Svetlana showed that women can do amazing things in the sky and in space. Her life is a story of courage and skill.

Svetlana Savitskaya is a pioneering Russian aviator and Soviet cosmonaut. She is best known for her historic achievements in space exploration. Savitskaya was the second woman to ever fly in space. She also became the first woman to perform an extravehicular activity, or EVA. An EVA is a spacewalk conducted outside a spacecraft. Her career is defined by breaking barriers for women in aviation and space science. Her technical skills and physical endurance allowed her to perform complex tasks in extreme environments.

Savitskaya’s journey began with a passion for high-altitude flight. Born on August 8, 1948, she grew up in a family with strong aviation ties. Her father, Yevgeny Savitsky, was a highly decorated fighter pilot. Her mother was a leader in the Moscow Communist party. Without her parents' knowledge, Savitskaya began parachuting at age 16. By her seventeenth birthday, she had completed 450 parachute jumps. She eventually achieved three world record jumps from the stratosphere. The stratosphere is a high layer of Earth's atmosphere. She also set 15 world record jumps using jet planes.

After her early adventures, Savitskaya pursued formal training and professional flying. She graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1972. She then trained as a test pilot at the Fedotov Test Pilot School. A test pilot evaluates new aircraft to ensure they are safe and functional. In 1978, she began working as a test pilot for the Yakovlev aircraft manufacturer. During her career, she reached a speed of 2,683 km/h in a MiG-25 aircraft. She also competed in aerobatics, which are precision flight maneuvers. In July 1970, she won a world championship in Hullavington, United Kingdom, with an all-female team.

In 1979, Savitskaya entered the selection process for female cosmonauts. She was officially admitted to the group on June 30, 1980. Of the nine women selected, she was the only test pilot. Her first mission launched on August 19, 1982, aboard the Soyuz T-7 spacecraft. This mission took her to the Salyut 7 space station. She served as a research cosmonaut alongside Leonid Popov and Alexander Serebrov. This was the first time a space station hosted a mixed-gender crew. The mission lasted 7 days, 21 hours, and 52 minutes.

Savitskaya’s second flight in 1984 was even more scientifically significant. She launched on July 17, 1984, aboard the Soyuz T-12 mission. She flew as a flight engineer with Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Igor Volk. The goal was to bring tools to the Salyut 7 station to help repair a fuel line. On July 25, 1984, Savitskaya performed a historic spacewalk. She spent 3 hours and 35 minutes outside the station. During this EVA, she and Dzhanibekov tested the Universal Hand Tool, known as the URI. This tool was created at the Paton Institute in Kiev, Ukraine.

The URI was designed to perform several complex metalworking tasks in the vacuum of space. Savitskaya used the tool to cut and weld various materials. She completed six cuts of titanium and stainless steel. She also performed two coatings of anodized aluminum. Additionally, she conducted six tests of tin and lead solder. She even tested cuts on a 0.5 mm titanium sample. These tests were vital for understanding how to repair spacecraft in orbit. The success of these tests allowed the resident crew to eventually repair the station's fuel line. The total duration of the Soyuz T-12 mission was 11 days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes.

Savitskaya’s legacy is preserved through many honors and scientific tributes. She was named a Hero of the Soviet Union twice. She also received two Orders of Lenin. Her impact on space science is recognized by the naming of the asteroid 4118 Sveta. In the political sphere, she served as a deputy in the State Duma of the Russian Federation. She has held various leadership roles in Russian politics since the 1990s. Even as a retired Major in the Russian Air Force, her influence remains. She continues to be a symbol of what is possible through technical expertise and courage.