On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 15:18:11 -0400, "Rostyslaw J. Lewyckyj"
wrote:

:P.S. First American woman in space was what - 20 years after
:Tereshkova?

Yes, the difference being that we didn't send one until she had an
actual purpose in being there. 'Parachute packer in a can' as a
'first' is hardly something to be beating your chest about.

Sour grapes?
I believe that in addition to the obvioous political political
purpose, they even manufactured a set of 'opportunity knocks'
scientific, medical, purposes for launching her.

As a slight parallel, What was the purpose of Senator John
Glenns' 1998, STS-95 return trip into space?

Senate appropriations. What else?