Sally Ride

Sally Ride was an American physicist and astronaut who became the first American woman in space aboard Challenger in 1983. She later founded Sally Ride Science to encourage young people, especially girls, to study science.

NASA: The United States government agency responsible for civilian space exploration and aeronautics research. NASA selected Ride as an astronaut in 1978 and sent her into space.
STS-7: A 1983 Space Shuttle mission on which Challenger deployed satellites and conducted scientific experiments. Ride’s first spaceflight made her the first American woman to travel in space.
Sally Ride Science: A science education company co-founded by Sally Ride and Tam O’Shaughnessy in 2001. Ride created it to make science engaging and accessible, particularly for girls.
Women in space: The history and participation of women in human spaceflight. Ride’s 1983 flight became a defining milestone in American women’s spaceflight history.
Sally Ride’s 1978 astronaut class: NASA’s 1978 astronaut group, the first to include women and people of color. Ride joined this class, whose selection marked a shift in astronaut recruitment.
STS-41-G: A 1984 Space Shuttle mission that carried seven crew members and deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite. Ride’s second flight included Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space.
Science education: The teaching and learning of scientific knowledge, practices, and ways of reasoning. Ride’s post-NASA work centered on building interest and confidence in science.
Challenger disaster: The 1986 in-flight breakup of Space Shuttle Challenger, killing all seven crew members. Ride served on the presidential commission investigating the disaster.
Kathryn D. Sullivan: An American geologist and astronaut who became the first American woman to walk in space. Sullivan was Ride’s crewmate on STS-41-G and followed her as a pioneering astronaut.
Space Shuttle Challenger: The second operational NASA space shuttle orbiter, used on ten missions before its 1986 destruction. Challenger carried Ride on both of her spaceflights.

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