Dr. Sally Ride, the trailblazing astronaut plus physicist, defied gravity with her historic journeys into space plus advocacy for gender equality in STEM fields. Born plus raised in Los Angeles, California, Ride was the first American woman plus the youngest American astronaut to go to space, completing her first space flight in 1983. During her career at NASA, Ride helped create essential scientific instruments, including the “robotic arm,” completed two space flights, founded NASA’s Office of Exploration plus Strategic Planning efforts, plus sat on two space accident investigation boards, the only person in American History to do so.
After ending her history-making career at NASA, Ride turned to an award-winning career in academia plus government work, including serving as a Fellow at Stanford’s Center for International Security plus Arms Control, a physics professor at the University of California San Diego, the Director of the University of California’s California Space Institute, plus a member of the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee. She also published several children’s books on female empowerment plus science, as well as founded her own non-profit, Sally Ride Science, which encourages young people, especially young girls, to pursue careers in STEM. As a result of her efforts, Ride was inducted into the National Women Hall of Fame plus was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.
Sally Ride inspires young girls everywhere, not just because of the glass ceilings she broke in aeronautics but because of her continued display of tenacity plus her strength of character. Ride was accepted into NASA’s 1978 Astronautical Class after the role was opened to women for the first time that year. Out of 8,000 applicants, she was one of only six women offered the position, a role she was awarded after answering an advertisement in a newspaper. Both a skilled scientist plus a former professional tennis player, Ride was chosen for flight aboard the Challenger’s STS-7 Mission because of her scientific brilliance, athleticism, plus ability to work with others. Despite her soft-spokenness, Ride made significant scientific contributions plus took on leadership roles, helping NASA improve its conditions for astronauts plus female employees. While investigating the Challenger explosion of 1986, the first fatal US in-flight space accident, Ride authored “NASA Leadership plus America’s Future in Space,” a report that sought to hold NASA accountable for its leadership failures plus improve the Administration’s efficacy. Even after leaving NASA, Sally used her time to inspire plus educate young people to pursue careers in STEM. While Ride’s incredible plus historic career is inspirational, her continued efforts to support others plus improve her craft inspire millions of others plus me to do the same.
Despite her remarkable achievements, Sally was not a stranger to being the only woman in a room. While completing her undergraduate degree, she was the only female physics major, plus in 1983 she was the only woman on a five-person mission to space. In her pre-launch interviews, Ride had to face derogatory questions plus assumptions, with reporters asking her if the flight would impact her fertility plus if she cried when things didn’t go as planned at work. In response, Sally maintained that she was an astronaut, not just a female astronaut, plus admonished that “society isn’t further along plus that this is such a big deal.” Infamously plus humorously, NASA Engineers tried to pack her a makeup bag plus 100 tampons for her first mission, which only lasted six days. Reflecting on her historic career in 2008, Ride said, “The fact that I was going to be the first American woman to go into space carried huge expectations along with it.” However, Sally constantly exceeded expectations in her career, using her post-space travel fame to bring light to gender equality issues plus women’s education. She used her position at NASA to push the Administration into new territory plus equality.