1. Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya is a Russian former aviator and Soviet cosmonaut who flew aboard Soyuz T-7 in 1982, becoming the second woman in space.
21 Facts About Svetlana Savitskaya
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Svetlana Savitskaya set several FAI world records as a pilot.
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Svetlana Savitskaya's father, Yevgeny Savitsky, was a highly decorated fighter pilot during the Second World War, which later brought him to the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Soviet Air Defense.
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Svetlana Savitskaya's father realized her secret extracurricular activity upon the discovery of a parachute knife in his daughter's school bag.
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An experienced and highly educated female in the Soviet Space Program, Svetlana Savitskaya was reportedly an extremely serious, unbending, and steely woman.
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In 1979, Svetlana Savitskaya participated in the selection process for the second group of female cosmonauts.
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In December 1981, Svetlana Savitskaya prepared for her first space flight, a short-term flight to the space station Salyut 7.
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Svetlana Savitskaya held the position of research cosmonaut on this mission.
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Svetlana Savitskaya was assigned the orbital module of Soyuz T-7 as a private area, but slept as well as the men in the space station.
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Svetlana Savitskaya was chosen above other female cosmonauts due to her extensive flight experience and physical ability to perform the necessary operations in a heavy, bulky space suit for multiple hours.
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Svetlana Savitskaya participated in this mission under the title of flight engineer.
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On 17 July 1984, Svetlana Savitskaya launched aboard Soyuz T-12, together with Commander Vladimir Dzhanibekov and research cosmonaut Igor Volk.
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On 25 July 1984, Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to spacewalk, conducting EVA outside the Salyut 7 space station for 3 hours and 35 minutes, during which she cut and welded metals in space along with her colleague Vladimir Dzhanibekov.
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Svetlana Savitskaya was chosen for this duty because she was the only experienced female cosmonaut still on active duty at the time.
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Svetlana Savitskaya was set to command Yekaterina Ivanova and Yelena Dobrokvashina, two younger female cosmonauts.
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Svetlana Savitskaya is married and has one child, a son Konstantin born on 7 November 1986.
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From 1983 to 1994 Svetlana Savitskaya held a position of Deputy Head of NPO Energia.
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Svetlana Savitskaya did not welcome the collapse of the Soviet Union, noting that her parents would live a "second death" were they to see Russia as it was.
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Svetlana Savitskaya retired in 1993 from the Russian Air Force with the rank of Major.
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Svetlana Savitskaya presently serves as Deputy Chair of the Committee on Defence, and is a member of the Coordination council presidium of the National Patriotic Union.
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Svetlana Savitskaya was one of five cosmonauts selected to raise the Russian flag at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.