Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova ( ; born 6 March 1937 ) , is a retired Soviet cosmonaut and was the first woman to fly in space , aboard Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963 . Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova ( born March 6 , 1937 ) was the first woman in space , now a retired Soviet cosmonaut . Out of more than four hundred applicants and then out of five finalists , she was selected to pilot Vostok 6 on the 16th of June 1963 and became the first woman to fly in space .