I hesitate to use the past tense . Sally Ride , the first American woman in space , died aged 61 . The last time a female astronaut was killed on duty was when Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova fell to her death during launch from Kazakhstan in October 2011. CNN readers have shared their memories and condolences on CNN.com , Facebook and Twitter .
Sally Ride , the first American woman in space , died aged 61 . The last time a female astronaut was killed on duty was when Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova fell to her death during launch from Kazakhstan in October 2011. CNN readers have shared their memories and condolences on CNN.com , Facebook and Twitter .