Dr. Sally Ride was the first American woman in space.
Before beating out 1,000 other applicants for a spot in NASA’s astronaut program, the Los Angeles native double-majored in Physics and English at Stanford University. After receiving bachelor’s degrees in both subjects in 1973, Sally continued to study physics, completing a master’s degree in 1975 and a Ph.D. in 1978.
On June 18, 1983, after years of rigorous training following her Ph.D program, Ride joined the Challenger shuttle mission and earned her famous title of “first American woman in space.” In the role of mission specialist, Ride helped deploy satellites and worked other projects before returning to Earth on June 24.
She completed a second flight but a third was cancelled after the Challenger disaster, which she investigated as part of the presidential commission for the accident.
Following NASA, Ride became both the director of the California Space Institute at the University of California, San Diego, and professor of physics at the school in 1989. In 2001, she started Sally Ride Science (where she served as president and CEO) to create educational programs and products to help inspire girls and young women to pursue their interests in science and math.
Ride received many honors for her contributions to the field of science and space exploration, including the NASA Space Flight Medal, the NCAA’s Theodore Roosevelt Award, and inductions into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Sally Ride died on July 23, 2012, after a 17-month-long battle with pancreatic cancer, but her legacy lives on through her work and through space and science professionals and enthusiasts all over the world.
Read more:
https://sallyridescience.com/
http://www.biography.com/people/sally-ride-9458284#death-and-legacy&awesm=~oHAlo6SIrL1cXY
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