Space Policy and Gender Equality

The Soviet Union was the first space agency to send a woman into space. On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space when she completed 48 orbits around Earth aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft.

As of 2023, only about 10% of astronauts in the history of space exploration have been women. This statistic highlights the underrepresentation of women in the space sector.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has the highest percentage of female astronauts among the major space agencies. As of 2023, women make up about 25% of ESA's astronaut corps.

The first all-female spacewalk took place on October 18, 2019, during ISS Expedition 59. Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir conducted a six-hour and 55-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has a policy requiring at least one woman on every astronaut mission. This policy was adopted in 2019 and aims to promote gender equality in the space sector.

Space4Women is an initiative launched by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to promote gender equality in the space sector. It aims to increase the participation of women in space-related activities and decision-making processes.

The United States has the highest percentage of women working in the space sector among the major spacefaring nations. As of 2023, women make up about 30% of the workforce in the U.S. space industry.

Peggy Whitson became the first female astronaut to command the International Space Station in 2017. She served as the commander of Expedition 51 and Expedition 52.

NASA has the highest number of female astronauts currently in active service. As of 2023, there are 14 active female astronauts in NASA's astronaut corps.

As of 2023, no female astronaut has yet walked on the Moon. However, NASA's Artemis program aims to send the first woman to the Moon by 2025.

Russia has the lowest percentage of women working in the space sector among the major spacefaring nations. As of 2023, women make up only about 10% of the workforce in the Russian space industry.

Sally Ride became the first female astronaut to serve as a mission specialist on a Space Shuttle mission in 1983. She flew aboard the STS-7 mission, which deployed two communications satellites.

NASA has the highest number of female astronauts who have performed spacewalks. As of 2023, 14 female NASA astronauts have conducted a total of 70 spacewalks.

Elena Kondakova became the first female astronaut to command a Soyuz spacecraft in 1995. She commanded the Soyuz TM-20 mission to the Mir space station.

The United States has the highest percentage of female engineers working in the space sector among the major spacefaring nations. As of 2023, women make up about 25% of the engineering workforce in the U.S. space industry.