Sally Ride, First American Woman In Space, Dies At Age 61
American astronaut Sally Ride passed away of pancreatic cancer on July 23, 2012. She was the first American woman in space and was a trailblazer for women in the American space program. She was 61 years old.
Terry McEntee, a spokesperson for Sally Ride Science, said Ride died at her home in La Jolla, a suburb of San Diego. McEntee also stated that Ride was a very private person and only a small group of people knew she was sick at the time.
In 1983, Sally Ride traveled to space in the space shuttle Challenger when she was 32 years old. She served as a mission specialist during the STS-7 mission. During the mission, Ride operated the space shuttle’s robotic arm, which was used in deploying and retrieving satellites.
The Challenger mission commenced on June 18, 1983, and concluded on June 24, 1983. In total, Sally Ride spent nearly seven days in space.
Sally Ride’s second trip to space happened on October 5, 1984 on the space shuttle Challenger on the STS-41G mission. During this mission, Ride served as a mission specialist, and the crew conducted a variety of scientific experiments, including Earth observation and satellite deployments.
On this second mission, Sally Ride carried a special piece to honor the journey and the trailblazing nature of what was happening. It was a scarf that Amelia Earhart had originally worn. A fitting tribute.
Since her space missions, many other women have made the journey into space following the path set by Ride.
“Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model. She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars,” President Barack Obama said at the time in a statement.
She was a physicist, the author of five science books for children, and the founder and president of her own company, Sally Ride Science, which develops and provides classroom materials, programs, and professional development opportunities for K-12 educators.
Sally Ride founded the company in 2001 and was also a professor of physics at the University of California in San Diego.
In 1978, Ride earned her doctorate in physics from Stanford University and was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate. Ride logged 343 hours in space by taking two journeys on Challenger in 1983 and 1984. She was scheduled to take a third journey but it was later canceled when Challenger exploded in 1986. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said of Ride:
“[She] broke barriers with grace and professionalism — and literally changed the face of America’s space program. The nation has lost one of its finest leaders, teachers and explorers.”
Sally Ride was survived by her partner of 27 years, Tam O’Shaughnessy; her mother, Joyce; her sister, Bear; a niece and a nephew.
