Which women have gone into space: verified profiles and mission overview

What the question means and why context matters

“What women went into space today” can refer to a specific news item if a launch just occurred, but it is also commonly used to ask for a general list of women who have flown in space over time. This response is organized as an evergreen explainer that answers both interpretations: current activity and historical record. It focuses on verified missions, names, dates, agencies, and roles, avoiding speculation. The aim is to give a durable reference that stays useful regardless of when the question is asked.

How many women have flown in space: summary numbers

More than 80 women from more than 40 countries have flown in space across dozens of programs. The large majority flew under NASA, Roscosmos, or the Soviet program; others flew with CNSA, ESA, JAXA, and commercial crew providers. Below is a concise, country level breakdown with notable firsts and representative missions. Figures are limited to confirmed human spaceflights with public mission records.

Country level summary table

Country / Program	Notable first woman	Year of first woman in space	Representative missions (sample)
Soviet Union / Russia	Valentina Tereshkova	1963	Vostok 6
United States	Sally Ride	1983	STS-7
China	Liu Yang	2012	Shenzhou 9
Canada	Roberta Bondar	1992	STS-42
Japan	Chiaki Mukai	1994	STS-65
ESA member states	Claudie Haigneré	1997	Cassiopée/Soyuz TM-24

Notable women in space: profiles and missions

Valentina Tereshkova (USSR, 1963)

Tereshkova remains the only woman to have flown a solo spaceflight to date. Launched alone aboard Vostok 6, her flight was complementary to that of Vostok 5. She logged nearly three days in orbit, conducted communications tests, and demonstrated that a woman could operate as a solo crew member during a Vostok-class mission.

Sally Ride (United States, 1983)

Ride became the first American woman in space on STS-7 in 1983 at age 32. A physicist with a background in operational research, she served as a mission specialist and contributed to deploying satellites and conducting experiments in microgravity. Her presence helped establish long term precedent for women in NASA astronaut corps.

Mae Jemison (United States, 1992)

Jemison was the first woman of color to travel into space, serving as a mission specialist on STS-47 in 1992. The Spacelab J mission focused on life sciences and materials processing, and her role highlighted the importance of diverse crews for comprehensive research planning.

Liu Yang (China, 2012)

As the first Chinese woman in space, Liu flew aboard Shenzhou 9 to Tiangong-1. The mission included manual docking exercises and biomedical experiments. Her selection signaled national emphasis on women’s capabilities in long duration missions and extravehicular preparation.

Christina Koch and Jessica Meir (United States, 2019–2020)

Koch completed one of the longest single flights by a woman, logging months on the ISS and participating in the first all-female spacewalk with Meir. Meir similarly contributed to station operations and later missions, demonstrating sustained operational roles for women on orbital laboratories.

Where women have flown: programs and vehicles

Women have flown on multiple vehicle types, including Vostok, Soyuz, Space Shuttle, Shenzhou, Crew Dragon, and Soyuz MS/FG variants via commercial crew arrangements. They have served as commander, pilot, and mission specialist across these programs. The table below summarizes key roles and vehicle associations for selected milestone flights.

Roles and vehicles by milestone flight

Mission	Role	Vehicle	Agency	Year
Vostok 6	Commander	Vostok	USSR	1963
STS-7	Mission specialist	Space Shuttle	NASA	1983
STS-42	Mission specialist	Space Shuttle	NASA	19Roberta Bondar 1992
Shenzhou 9	Flight engineer	Shenzhou	CNSA	2012
Expedition 59/60 EVA	EVA crew	ISS (Soyuz MS-12)	NASA/Roscosmos	2019

Current status and near term launches

As of the most recent public manifest data, there are no announced women-only launches scheduled for the immediate future, but multiple upcoming missions include women in crews. Commercial crew rotations, ISS expeditions, and lunar program training all feature women in active consideration for flight. Because manifest details can change, readers are encouraged to consult official agency and operator sources for the latest confirmed announcements.

Common questions and context

Has a woman ever commanded the ISS? Yes; NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Nicole Mann, among others, have served as ISS commanders, and women have held command on other stations.
Are there women on the ISS right now? Station crews rotate; at the time of reference, Expedition and later expedition teams have included women as flight engineers and commanders.
What about all-female spacewalks? The first all-female spacewalk was conducted by Koch and Meir in 2019 during Expedition 61.
Which countries have sent women to space? Dozens, including the Soviet Union/Russia, United States, China, Canada, Japan, and multiple ESA member states.

Why verified records matter

Public lists of women in space sometimes include candidates who trained but did not fly, or conflate announcement dates with launch dates. This explainer restricts entries to confirmed spaceflights with recognized space agencies or commercial operators and cites representative missions rather than an exhaustive catalog that could change with future launches. For the latest confirmed missions, consult ISS expedition logs, agency press kits, and manufacturer dashboards.

Quick recap: key takeaways

Over 80 women from more than 40 countries have flown in space.
Firsts span multiple nations and decades, from Tereshkova in 1963 to modern ISS and lunar programs.
Women have served as commander, pilot, and mission specialist across shuttle, Soyuz, Shenzhou, and commercial crew vehicles.
Upcoming rotations will continue to include women, but no women-only launches are currently announced for the immediate term.