Sally Ride

First American woman in space who revolutionized gender roles in STEM

Sally Kristen Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) shattered celestial glass ceilings as the first American woman in space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983. Her journey began not as an astronaut but as a physicist, earning a Ph.D. from Stanford University before being selected by NASA in 1978 among 8,000 applicants.

Ride's historic STS-7 mission involved deploying satellites and conducting pharmaceutical experiments. She later served on the Challenger disaster investigation board and pioneered NASA's EarthKam project, allowing students to photograph Earth from orbit.

Beyond technical achievements, Ride co-founded Sally Ride Science in 2001 to inspire young girls in STEM fields. Her educational programs reached over 2 million students, addressing the gender gap in science careers. Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Ride's legacy continues through LGBTQ+ advocacy and her final book To Space and Back.