MOSCOW -- Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to fly in space, Wednesday congratulated astronaut Sally K. Ride on her mission aboard the space shuttle Challenger.
'Please accept my congratulations on your first space flight as a member of the crew of the Challenger shuttle ship,' Miss Tereshkova, 46, said in a telegram.
'It gaves me pleasure to know that a third representative of this planet's women, now from the United States of America, is in outer space today,' she said.
'When we were beginning to explore space, our only thought was to place that unfamiliar world at the service of people, of human progress,' the telegram continued.
'I am confident that we will be at one in seeing that outer space forever remains peaceful, free of any kinds of weapons and serves the cause of peace and mutual understanding among nations.'
It was signed 'V. Tereshkova, U.S.S.R. pilot-cosmonaut.'
Miss Tereshkova last week celebrated the 20th anniversary of her three-day orbital flight. Last year, the Soviet Union also placed the second women in space, Svetlana Savitskaya.
