V ~ Valentina Tereshkova

On 16 June 1963 at 26 years old, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space with a solo mission on the Vostok 6.

Before her recruitment, Valentina was training as a competitive parachutist. Her expertise in skydiving led her selection as a cosmonaut. From 400 applicants - she was selected for the mission. Having orbited Earth 48 times, Tereshkova remains the only woman to have been on a solo space mission.

Source: Wikipedia & Women in Science
Image: Stamp printed in Korea shows Valentina Tereshkova, circa 1988