Putin congratulates world’s first female cosmonaut on her birthday

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the world’s first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, on her 80th birthday, the Kremlin said.

"Starting with your legendary space flight, you have always been an example and a symbol of how we should serve the nation … and you continue your active work in the State Duma," Sputnik cited Putin as saying.

Tereshkova flew into space in 1963 in a Vostok 6 spacecraft. She spent almost three days in space and still is the only woman to have been on a solo mission there.