Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space when she voyaged into orbit aboard the Vostok 2 spacecraft in 1962. Naming this shuttle after Tereshkova was not only in keeping with Star Trek's tradition of honoring great scientists and explorers, but it also recognized that Kate Mulgrew, playing Captain Janeway, was the first woman to play the lead role in a Star Trek series.