Sally Ride

Sally Ride was an American astronaut and physicist. She was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1951. In 1983, she became the first American woman to fly in space. She later worked to inspire young people, especially girls, to study science.

Early Life

Ride was a talented tennis player and a brilliant science student. She studied physics at Stanford University. She saw a NASA advertisement looking for astronauts and applied. She was selected from over 8,000 applicants.

Astronaut Sally Ride after a training session at NASA in 1983.
Astronaut Sally Ride after a training session at NASA in 1983. (NASA / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Achievements

Ride flew into space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983. She was 32 years old, making her the youngest American astronaut at that time. She flew a second mission in 1984. After leaving NASA, she started a company to inspire girls to pursue science and math.

Fun Facts

  • Ride was selected from over 8,000 applicants to NASA.
  • She was the youngest American astronaut to fly in space at age 32.
  • She started Sally Ride Science to inspire girls to study STEM subjects.

Did You Know?

Ride once said the thing she remembered most about space was the view. She could see Earth's thin atmosphere from space and realized how fragile our planet is. This inspired her to work on environmental issues.