You might think that Sally Ride was the first woman in Space, but you’d be wrong.
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space. She was born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles, California. Her dad was Dale Burdell Ride and her mom was Carol Joyce. Sally Ride had a younger sister named Karen. Sally went to school in Los Angeles. She went to Portola Junior High and Birmingham High School. She earned a scholarship and went to the Westlake School for Girls. Sally was a very good tennis player.
She was so good that she was nationally ranked. Sally Ride went to Stanford University and she studied Physics and English. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in both of them.
She kept studying at Stanford and earned a Master’s degree and PhD. in Physics. Sally Ride joined NASA to become one of the first six women astronauts ever in NASA. She went on The Challenger, which is a space shuttle. Her job was to work the robotic arm.
She used the arm to help satellites reach space. Some of the awards she received were the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the von Braun Award, and the NASA Space Flight Medal. She was also inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Sally married another astronaut named Steve Hawley in 1982. Sally Ride and her husband divorced in five years, but Sally Ride didn’t let it stop her career. Sally Ride worked in NASA for a long time and after being the first woman in space, she became a Professor of Physics. Sally Ride co-founded the Sally Ride Science company.
She was the President and CEO of that company. She also became the Director of the California Space Institute. Sadly, after getting cancer she passed away at the age of 61. She died from Pancreatic Cancer, on July, 23 2012 in La Jolla, CA.
Sally Ride will be remembered for being a great astronaut, and for being the first American woman in space. I thought that since Sally Ride followed her dreams and was the first woman to be an astronaut, then I can achieve whatever I want, too.
