Key Takeaways:
- Sally Ride made history as the first American woman in space on June 18, 1983, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, following her selection from 8,000 applicants after NASA's first recruitment allowing women in 1977.
- Her preparatory training included parachute jumping, water survival, and weightlessness adaptation, alongside contributing to the development of the shuttle's robotic arm.
- During her mission, Ride's responsibilities encompassed operating the mechanical arm, deploying communication satellites, and conducting scientific experiments.
- Despite encountering intrusive public inquiries, she managed her celebrity with humor and grace, subsequently co-founding Sally Ride Science in 2001 to inspire girls in STEM fields.
Sally Ride made history aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983, becoming the first American woman in space 20 years nearly to the day after Soviet Valentina Tereshkova’s flight. In 1977, as she was finishing her Ph.D. in physics, Ride saw a newspaper ad placed by NASA to recruit astronauts. For the first time, women were allowed to apply. She was selected from 8,000 applicants, and went through extensive training including parachute jumping, water survival, and adapting to weightlessness; she also contributed to developing the shuttle’s robot arm and served as capsule communicator. During her mission, Ride operated the mechanical arm, deployed communication satellites, and conducted experiments. A very private person, she nonetheless handled her fame and inappropriate questions – such as what makeup she was taking to space and whether she would cry if something went wrong – with humor and grace. To continue to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers, Ride co-founded Sally Ride Science in 2001. She passed away in 2012.
