Astronaut Profile
Sally Ride
Mission Specialist
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard STS-7 in 1983, and later served on both the Challenger and Columbia accident investigation boards.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Mission Specialist • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
Sally K. Ride was a physicist who joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1978 as part of the first class to include women. She flew aboard STS-7 in 1983, becoming the first American woman in space, and flew a second mission aboard STS-41-G in 1984. Ride later served on both the Rogers Commission investigating the Challenger disaster and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, the only person to serve on both. After leaving NASA, she became a physics professor and founded Sally Ride Science, an organization promoting science education for young people.
Astronaut Details
Born
May 26, 1951
Died
July 23, 2012
Birthplace
Encino, California, USA
Role
Mission Specialist
Program
Space Shuttle
Time in Space
14 days, 7 hours, 47 minutes
Missions
STS-7, STS-41-G
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- National Women's Hall of Fame
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumous)
- NASA Space Flight Medal