Sally Ride, American astronaut, the first American woman to travel into outer space. Her father was a political science professor at Santa Monica College, and her mother worked as a volunteer counselor at women’s correctional facility. Karen Scott, a Presbyterian minister, as saying, “ ‘Closeness’ is not a word that is often used to describe relationships in our family.” Dr. Ride always needed to be in control, her mother told Dr. Okie. [56], Also in 2013, astronauts Chris Hadfield and Catherine Coleman performed a song called "Ride On". Ride's mother, who was of Norwegian descent, had worked as a volunteer counselor at a women's correctional facility. Part of Ride's job was to operate the robotics arm to deploy and retrieve SPAS-1.[6]. It’s too bad our society isn’t further along.”. [49][50], In 2017, a Google Doodle honored her on International Women's Day. While their lives took different paths, they stayed in contact over the years. Her obituary made news for quietly mentioning that she was survived by her partner of 27 years, Tam O'Shaughnessy. When Sally Ride Took Her First Space Flight, Sexism Was the Norm. Here are some tributes to Sally Ride from astronauts, scientists, historians, industry officials and … In the movie Valley Girl (2020 film) she is referred to as the first woman astronaut and a valley girl, since she is from Encino. “The women’s movement had already paved the way, I think, for my coming,” she said. Ride was extremely private about her personal life. Sally Ride Death. She is known for her work on Some Assembly Required (2008), Space Age (1992) and Spaceflight (1985). Official NASA Statement on Dr. Ride's Passing. It got me home twice. Sally died peacefully on July 23rd after a courageous 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, died on Monday at her home in San Diego. Speaking to reporters before the first shuttle flight, Dr. Ride — chosen in part because she was known for keeping her cool under stress — politely endured a barrage of questions focused on her sex: Would spaceflight affect her reproductive organs? [3] The purpose of the mission was to deploy two communications satellites and the first Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS-1), conduct experiments within the cargo bay, and test the TDRS satellite. [6] After Sally Ride's death in 2012, General Donald Kutyna revealed that she had discreetly provided him with key information about O-rings (namely, that they become stiff at low temperatures) that eventually led to identification of the cause of the explosion. She was named to the Rogers Commission (the presidential commission investigating the Challenger disaster) and headed its subcommittee on operations. She was homesick for California and was considering a career in tennis. [39], On December 6, 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver inducted Ride into the California Hall of Fame at the California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts.[40]. They divorced in 1987. Sally Kristen Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) was an American physicist and astronaut. She learned to fly a jet plane. [3][4] Ride died of pancreatic cancer on July 23, 2012. She was 61. [22][23] She was a member of the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee, an independent review requested by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on May 7, 2009. In order to be an astronaut and go into space, Sally Ride had to train for a year. They decorated their master bedroom with a large photograph of astronauts on the moon. A new photobiography details Sally Ride's childhood, her early struggles with stardom and the scientific zeal of America's first woman in space. [24], After Ride's death, her obituary revealed that her partner of 27 years was Tam O'Shaughnessy, a professor emerita of school psychology at San Diego State University and childhood friend, who met her when both were aspiring tennis players. [27][28] O'Shaughnessy served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Sally Ride Science. In 2003, Dr. Ride told The Times that stereotypes still persisted about girls and science and math — for example the idea that girls had less ability or interest in those subjects, or would be unpopular if they excelled in them. She was the only person to serve on both of the panels investigating Shuttle accidents (those for the Challenger accident and later the Columbia disaster). The Challenger had taken off on a cold morning. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer , according to a statement posted on the website of Sally Ride Science, a science education company she founded in 2001. Sally Ride died on July 23, 2012, at the age of 61 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Billy Joel's 1989 song "We Didn't Start the Fire" mentions her. The panel had months earlier expressed its conviction that the disintegration of the shuttle Columbia over Texas was triggered when a chunk of foam insulation fell off the external fuel tank and gashed the leading edge of the wing. But the program was immediately suspended, and she retired the next year. They divorced in 1987. Sally Ride died at her home in La Jolla, California. Monday, Aug 10. Dr. Ride told interviewers that what drove her was not the desire to become famous or to make history as the first woman in space. In 2009, we featured Ride as part of our "35 Who Made a Difference" package. It was not until today, however — nearly 50 years after meeting — that their 27 … Only two other women preceded her: Valentina Tereshkova (1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (1982), both from the former Soviet Union. As a member of the panel appointed by President Ronald Reagan to investigate the accident, Ms. Ride gained a reputation for asking tough questions. [6] Astrophysics and free electron lasers were her specific areas of study. At Stanford, she earned a master's degree in 1975 and a PhD in physics in 1978 while doing research on the interaction of X-rays with the interstellar medium. Following her death on July 23, 2012 at the age of 61, she also is being remembered as a soft-spoken physicist who wanted to inspire young people to consider careers in technical fields. Her second space flight was STS-41-G in 1984, also on board Challenger. In 1987, Dr. Ride led a study team that wrote a report advising NASA on the future direction of the space program. It was only after her death that Ride disclosed to the world that she was a lesbian; in an obituary that she co-wrote, Ride revealed her 27-year relationship with partner Tam O’Shaughnessy. When one came aboard a space station, a male cosmonaut welcomed her by saying the kitchen and an apron were all ready for her. The panel learned from testimony and other evidence that there had been signs of trouble on earlier Challenger flights, but that they had been dismissed as not critical. SPAS-1 was successfully deployed, underwent experiments, then recollected and brought back to Earth. After leaving NASA, Sally worked at Stanford University, the California Space Institute, and even started her own company called Sally Ride Science. Dr. Ride, a physicist who was accepted into the space program in 1978 after she answered a newspaper ad for astronauts, flew on the shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983, and on a second mission in 1984. [14] In 2003, she was asked to serve on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. She was 61. The cause was pancreatic cancer, … [59], In 2017, a "Women of NASA" LEGO set went on sale featuring (among other things) mini-figurines of Ride, Margaret Hamilton, Mae Jemison, and Nancy Grace Roman. ", In 2013, Janelle Monáe released a song called "Sally Ride". Many of the people attending the launch wore T-shirts bearing the words "Ride, Sally Ride", lyrics from Wilson Pickett's song "Mustang Sally". [58], Ride's space flight is a central event in the 2016 novel Our Lady of the Inferno. In 1999, Ride appeared as herself on the Touched By An Angel episode "Godspeed. [60], In 2019, Mattel Inc released a Barbie doll in Ride's likeness as part of their "Inspiring Women" series.[61]. Ride and OShaughnessy were open about their relationship as partners and as bus… Both parents were elders in the Presbyterian Church. The programs allowed middle school students to request images of the Earth[12] and Moon. Ride … NASA, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images. Dr. Okie quoted Dr. Ride’s younger sister, the Rev. [19] Their relationship was revealed by the company and confirmed by her sister, who said she chose to keep her personal life private, including her sickness and treatments. She earned a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University. She served on the committees that investigated the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle disasters, the only person to participate in both. I like the shuttle.”. At her request, NASA kept her illness secret. Sally Kristen Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Encino, part of Los Angeles. The Challenger commander, Robert L. Crippen, chose her for the 1983 mission in part because of her expertise with the device. During her life, Ride kept her personal life private. Ride was eminently qualified for space flight. Sally Ride hugged him publicly to show her support for his efforts. Dr. Ride was finishing studies at Stanford University — she had degrees in physics and astrophysics (and also English) — and looking for a job when she saw NASA’s advertisement. She was 61 years old and had lived in California. “And I can’t,” she said.). In 1989, she became a professor of physics and director of the California Space Institute at the University of California, San Diego. But she also said: “I flew the shuttle twice. The same year, Dr. Ride retired from NASA and became a science fellow at the Center for International Security and Arms Control at Stanford. She was 61. 1 women’s singles player and was nationally ranked. [3][35][36][37] Following cremation, her ashes were interred next to her father[38] at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica. She was the only panelist to offer him support. She married fellow astronaut Steve Hawley in 1982, but they divorced in 1987.After her passing, Tam OShaughnessy opened up about their 27 year relationship. They discussed making their 27-year-old relationship public about a week before Ride died from cancer in 2012. In 2003, after sitting on a shuttle-disaster panel for the second time, Dr. Ride said in an interview with The Times that part of the problem at NASA was that people had forgotten some of the lessons learned from the Challenger accident. She did not take that advice. Sally Ride was born on May 26, 1951 in Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA as Sally Kristen Ride. [41][42] Also in December 2012, the Space Foundation bestowed upon Ride its highest honor, the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award. Would she wear a bra or makeup in space? She also switched from physics to engineering and helped in the development of a robotic arm for the space shuttle. [15][16][17], According to Roger Boisjoly, who was the engineer that warned of the technical problems that led to the Challenger disaster, after the entire workforce of Morton-Thiokol shunned him Ride was the only public figure to show support for him when he went public with his pre-disaster warnings. She was married for a time to fellow NASA astronaut Steven Hawley. Full Episode. The soft-spoken California physicist broke the gender barrier 29 years ago when she rode to orbit aboard space shuttle Challenger to become America's first woman in space. The team recommended an outpost on the Moon, though not a “race to Mars.” But Mars should still be the “ultimate objective,” the group said. She taught at summer tennis camps, and at one of them she met Billie Jean King, who urged her to quit college and become a professional tennis player. Ride died in 2012 from pancreatic cancer. The medal was presented to her life partner Tam O'Shaughnessy in a ceremony at the White House on November 20, 2013. The elder child of Dale Burdell Ride and Carol Joyce Ride (née Anderson), Ride was born in Los Angeles. [54], When she became the first American woman in space on the Space Shuttle Challenger, many in the crowd attending the launch wore T-shirts printed, "Ride, Sally Ride," a play on the lyric of the 1965 song, Mustang Sally.[55]. Although Ride … [29] They wrote six acclaimed children's science books together. NASA Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, died on Monday of pancreatic cancer. Her next mission, in 1984, lasted about eight days. Ride died on July 23, 2012, at the age of 61, in her home in La Jolla, California,[34] seventeen months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The Soviets had already sent two women into space. As the first American woman to travel into space, Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model. Dr. Ride told a colleague it was difficult not to be angered by the findings. Sally Ride Dies . By the time she began studying laser physics at Stanford, women had already broken through into the physics department, once a boys’ club. [11], In 1987, Ride left her position in Washington, D.C., to work at the Stanford University Center for International Security and Arms Control. [45], On May 20, 2013, a "National Tribute to Sally Ride" was held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and on that same day, President Barack Obama announced that Ride would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Dr. Okie was her schoolmate, and wrote that she and Dr. Ride, both on scholarship, felt out of place among the actors’ daughters and “Bel Air belles” at the school. Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel into space, died Monday at the age of 61, the Associated Press reported. American physicist and astronaut (1951–2012), Center for International Security and Arms Control, NASA Leadership and America's Future in Space, Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee, California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, United States women's national soccer team, "10 fascinating things about Astronaut Sally Ride you must know", "Obituary: American Woman Who Shattered Space Ceiling", https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/why-sally-ride-waited-until-her-death-tell-world-she-f908942, "An Oral History Of The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster", "EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students)", "GRAIL MoonKAM (Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students)", "Touched by an Angel (1994–2003): Godspeed", "Sally Ride touts science careers for women", "Sally Ride program blasts kids into science", "Roger Boisjoly, 73, Dies; Warned of Shuttle Danger", "Sally Ride Science Brings Cutting-Edge Science to the Classroom with New Content Rich Classroom Sets", "Sally Ride encourages girls to engineer careers", "Inspired kids will reach for stars under Obama", "Sally Ride, First American Woman In Space, Revealed To Have Female Partner Of 27 Years", "Talking with Sally Ride and Tam O'Shaughnessy", "Sally Ride, Trailblazing Astronaut, Dies at 61", Tam O'Shaughnessy biography on the Sally Ride Science website, "Sally Ride Revealed to Be Gay: Her Sister, on Ride's Life, Death, and Desires for Privacy", "Tam O'Shaughnessy: About Sally Ride's Partner Of 27 Years", "The Real Sally Ride: Astronaut, Science Champion and Lesbian", Former Astronaut Sally Ride Dies in La Jolla | NBC 7 San Diego, "Sally Ride, the first US woman in space, dies aged 61", "Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies", "Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies at 61", "Barrier-Breaking Astronaut Interred at Santa Monica's Woodlawn Cemetery", "National Winners | public service awards", NASA's Grail Lunar Impact Site Named for Astronaut Sally Ride, "Moon Probes' Crash Site Named After Sally Ride", "Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride Are 2013 General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award Honorees", "Navy Names New Scripps Research Vessel to Honor Legacy of Space Explorer Sally Ride", "Navy christens new research ship for Sally Ride, first US woman in space", "Obama to honor Sally Ride, first US woman in space, with posthumous Medal of Freedom", "President Obama Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sally Ride", "Legacy Walk honors LGBT 'guardian angels, "PHOTOS: 7 LGBT Heroes Honored With Plaques in Chicago's Legacy Walk", "Stanford renames buildings for Sally Ride, Carolyn Attneave", "Lesbian icons honored with jerseys worn by USWNT", "8 reasons Chris Hadfield is the coolest astronaut on the Web", "Chris Hadfield "Ride That Lightning" (lyric video)", "Women of NASA Lego toy set now on sale for $24.99", "Barbie launches new 'Inspiring Women' dolls honoring Rosa Parks, Sally Ride", "Sally Ride collected news and commentary", "Ride urges emphasis on math, science studies", "Sally Ride: The first American woman in space", NASA Astronaut Group 8, "TFNG (Thirty-Five New Guys)", 1978, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sally_Ride&oldid=1002978518, 20th-century American non-fiction writers, 21st-century American non-fiction writers, Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica, United States Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 January 2021, at 22:29. 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