A California native, Sally Ride studied physics and English at Stanford University. She had been a nationally ranked tennis player, but chose science and college over a tennis career.

Sally Ride Courtesy of NASA larger image Sally K. Ride and Kathryn Sullivan Photo courtesy NASA larger image Sally K. Ride and Anna L. Fisher Photo courtesy of NASA larger image Inflight View of STS-7 Crew Photo courtesy of NASA larger image STS-7 Crew Portrait Photo courtesy of NASA larger image

Applying to NASA's training program for astronauts on an impulse in 1978, Sally Ride became one of six women of 35 trainees chosen. When Sally Ride became a member of the space shuttle's seventh mission in 1983, she also became the first American woman astronaut. Sally Ride later flew, also on the Challenger, on the thirteenth space shuttle flight; on that flight, Ride's friend, Kathryn Sullivan, became the first American woman to walk in space.

Sally Ride was in training for a third shuttle mission when the space shuttle Challenger exploded in January, 1986, with its crew aboard. Ride was appointed to the Presidential Commission investigating the accident. She then worked for NASA's administration, creating the Office of Exploration and producing a report on the space program's future.

Briefly married to a fellow astronaut, Sally Ride left NAS in 1987, teaching first at Stanford then at the University of California, San Diego.

Sally Ride has written several books, including two for children.

Sally Ride on this site

• Image: Sally Ride and Kathryn Sullivan in space
• Image: Sally Ride official NASA photograph
• Image: Sally Ride and the rest of the crew of STS-7 - official portrait
• Image: Sally Ride and the rest of the crew of STS-7 - inflight photograph
• Image: Sally Ride and Anna Fisher, preparing for STS-7 flight
• More images: Sally Ride

Also on this site

• Images of Women Astronauts
• Women Astronauts and Cosmonauts - general articles and the most famous "firsts" among women in space
• Eileen Collins - first woman space shuttle commander
• Sally Ride - first American woman in space and a member of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle which investigated the Challenger explosion
• More Individual Women Astronauts - many of NASA's astronauts are listed on this page
• Women in Aviation - general articles include some on women in space
• Women Pilots
• Women and Physics

Bibliography

• Ride, Sally and Tam O'Shaughnessy. The Mystery of Mars. 1999. Fiction, ages 9-12.
• Ride, Sally and Susan Okie. To Space and Back.1986. Ages 9-12.
• Camp, Carole Ann. Sally Ride: First American Woman in Space. Age: young adult.
• Hopping, Lorraine Jean. Sally Ride: Space Pioneer. 2000. Ages 9-12.
• Hurwitz, Jane and Sue Hurwitz. Sally Ride: Shooting for the Stars. 1989. Ages 9-12.
• Stott, Carole. Into the Unknown.
• Verheyden-Hilliard, Mary E. Scientist and Astronaut: Sally Ride.1985. Ages 9-12.

Sally Ride on the Web

• Answering Student Questions 1998
• Sally Ride - Britannica
• Sally Ride - Lifetime Online
• Sally Ride - Lucid Interactive
• Sally Ride - NASA
• Sally Ride - NASA Quest
• Sally Ride - National Women's Hall of Fame
• Sally Ride - Smithsonian NASM
• Sally Ride - Stanford
• Sally Ride - TeacherWeb
• Sally Ride - Thinkquest
• Sally Ride - UCSD Faculty
• Sally Ride - Women in Aviation
• Sally Ride - Women in Transportation
• Book - Third Planet
• Female Frontiers - NASA
• Profile - Ride as Hero
• Profile - Sally Ride
• Sally Ride Leaving NASA
• Sally Ride President of Space.com
• Space Shuttle Program
• Space Shuttle Info - STS-7
• Space Shuttle -- 41-G
• US government on the Challenger accident
  • January 28, 1986: Reagan address to the nation
  • January 28, 1986: Presidentail proclamation
  • Establishing the Presidential Commission
  • Appointing 12 members to the Presidential Commission - including Sally K. Ride
  • Records of the Presidential Commission on the Challenger Accident
• Sally Ride images from NASA (more) (portraits) (historic STS-7 mission)

About Sally Ride

• Categories: Astronaut, physicist
• Organizational Affiliations: NASA
• Places: United States
• Period: 20th century

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Text copyright 1999-2006 © Jone Johnson Lewis.