First woman to make a stratosphere ascent. Soviet calls her "stratonaut". The first woman to make a stratosphere ascent, Eugenia Smit, an engineer of the Kuibyshev Electric Plant in Moscow reached a height of 24,000 feet - reaching the sub-stratosphere. She was accompanied by Lieutenant B. Romanov and the purpose of the flight was to study electricity in the stratosphere at different altitudes. Russia has christened her a "stratonaut". Photo shows: Eugenia Smit with Lieutenant B. Romanov in the basket of their balloon before the ascent. 3 June 1937