Dr. Sally K. Ride 
Sally K. Ride was born on May 26, 1951 in Encino, California. She received a Bachelor’s degree in English and physics (‘73) a Master's Degree in physics (‘75) and a Ph.D in astrophysics (‘78) all from Stanford University. Sally was married to a fellow astronaut Steven Hawley for 5 years (from ‘82-’87). She also revealed in her obituary a 27 year relationship with Tam O'Shaughnessy, who was the chief operating officer of her company Sally Ride Science. She passed away in 2012 from pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Ride was the first American woman to fly on a space shuttle- completing two flights: 8 days in ‘83 and 6 days in ‘84 aboard the Challenger. At only 32 years old, she was the youngest American in space. When she landed after her first flight, she told reporters, “I’m sure it was the most fun I’ll ever have in my life.”
She was scheduled to go back up, but the trip was cancelled due to the Challenger tragedy in ‘86. She retired the following year. She continued to serve by sitting on the shuttle disaster boards for both the shuttle Challenger and the shuttle Columbia. In ‘87, she led a study team to write a report, referred to as the “Ride Report,” about creating an outpost on the Moon to facilitate getting people to Mars.
Dr. Ride was a professor of physics and director at the California Space Institute at UCSD. She also was a children’s book author- writing six books for children including one about how to make a sandwich in space.
In 2001, Dr. Ride started her company Sally Ride Science which focused on increasing engagement in science through school programs, materials, and teacher training.
Read more about Dr. Sally K. Ride and her work:
Watch the Celebration of Dr. Sally K. Ride and the US Mint Quarter honoring her:
Works Cited:
Grady, D. (2012, July 23). American Woman Who Shattered Space Ceiling. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/science/space/sally-ride-trailblazing-astronaut-dies-at-61.html
"History in Five: Sally Ride, America's First Woman in Space." YouTube, uploaded by Simon & Schuster Books, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwu-zSdNiLI