Fifty years ago this June, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space.

Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American engineer and serial tech entrepreneur, believes more women and girls should follow the space pioneer.

Mrs. Ansari got her chance in 2006 when she became the first woman private space explorer.

She says the life-changing experience taught her that all people are “crew members on Spaceship Earth.”

On the eve of the International Day of Human Space Flight, observed on 12 April, Dianne Penn spoke with Anousheh Ansari who believes women and girls must be encouraged to pursue careers in Maths and Science.

Duration: 4'37"