Irina Solovyova

Above: signed photo inscribed on the back and signed cover from Irina Solovyova.

Before the flight of Valentina Tereshkova on Vostok 6, Khrushchev approved the idea of an "all women" Voskhod Flight. So, in March 1962, from an original group of more then 400 candidates, 5 women were choosen for the first women cosmonaut group, and Solovyova was in that group. After the flight of Tereshkova, the group of 5 women continued training for a future Voskhod 4 mission, to take place in 1966/67. The crews for that Voskhod 4 flight, later cancelled were: Solovyova and Ponomaryova (prime crew) and Kuznetsova and Yorkina (back-up). After the the cancelation of the Voskhod 4 mission, the group was eventually dismissed in 1969, and for many years the soviet sources told that only 4 women ever took part in that training group. Finally, in late 1987, the identity of the 5 woman was revealed.

Colonel, Siviet Air Forces, Ret.; graduated from Sverdlovsk Polytechnical Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering, 1959; parachutist; was selected as cosmonaut from Soviet Air Force on 03.03.1962 (Vostok); OKP (cosmonaut basic training): 4/62 - 29.11.1962; then graduated from Shukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy, Monino, 1967; was assigned as double for Vostok 6 and then for Voskhod 4; candidate of psychological sciences degree, 1980; in February 1988 she was a participant of an all female Antarctic-Expedition.