Who was the first woman to travel into space as a spaceflight astronaut?

Introduction / Context:
Space exploration milestones are popular topics in general knowledge and science sections of competitive exams. One of the key milestones is the first woman to travel into space. Although the original database text may have incorrectly referred to walking on the moon, no woman has walked on the lunar surface so far, even today. The historically correct and widely accepted fact is about the first woman in space, and this repaired version of the question focuses on that accurate information.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks for the first woman to travel into space.
• Options list Sally Ride, Svetlana Savitskaya, Valentina Tereshkova and Sunita Williams.
• We assume the context is human spaceflight, not spacewalks outside the spacecraft.
• We also assume that the confusing earlier wording has been corrected to match the historical record.

Concept / Approach:
Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut, became the first woman in space in nineteen sixty three when she flew aboard Vostok 6. This achievement predates all the other women listed in the options. Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, Svetlana Savitskaya was the second woman in space and the first woman to perform a spacewalk, and Sunita Williams is an Indian origin American astronaut known for long duration missions but not for being the first woman in space. Therefore, recognising the pioneering role of Valentina Tereshkova is the key to answering correctly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the question asks about the first woman to travel into space, not about later spacewalks or specific countries.Step 2: Recall from basic space history that Valentina Tereshkova flew on Vostok 6 in nineteen sixty three and became the first woman in space.Step 3: Compare the options and identify Valentina Tereshkova among the listed names.Step 4: Select Valentina Tereshkova and eliminate the others, who achieved different but later milestones.

Verification / Alternative check:
Space history books, encyclopedias and reliable online resources all agree that Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to travel into space. They provide her mission details, the year, and context about the Soviet space programme. The other astronauts listed are also covered but with different distinctions. Checking more than one independent source confirms that Tereshkova holds the first woman in space record, which matches the repaired question and leaves no room for doubt about the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sally Ride is very important as the first American woman in space but her flight took place in nineteen eighty three, about twenty years after Tereshkova s mission. Svetlana Savitskaya was the second woman in space and the first woman to conduct a spacewalk, so she is associated with a different first. Sunita Williams is known for long duration stays on the International Space Station and various records related to total time in space, but she is not the first woman overall. As a result, none of these alternatives match the specific milestone asked in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates misinterpret the earlier incorrect wording and look for the first woman to walk on the moon, an event that has not yet happened. Others confuse the first woman in space with the first woman from a particular country, especially Sally Ride for the United States. To avoid such confusion, it is helpful to anchor the fact as simple and clear: Valentina Tereshkova, Soviet cosmonaut, first woman in space in nineteen sixty three. Once this is firmly memorised, the distractor options become easier to reject.

Final Answer:
The first woman to travel into space as a spaceflight astronaut was Valentina Tereshkova, so Valentina Tereshkova is the correct option.