It is impossible to mention the name of Sally Ride without connecting it to NASA. This is unlikely to occur. Her remarkable achievements include being the very first woman to ever fly and conquer the space. It has been noted on various Sally Ride facts that she is into running. She does this for fun. There was also a time in her life when she participated in softball, volleyball and tennis. Aside from her athletic side, she used to write science books for many children too. Basically, these are related to space exploration.
For many, the life of Sally Ride maybe surreal. Well, it really is. It is not even surprising if others would ask – how was her life when she was still a young girl? Sally was born in May 26, 1951. She was originally from California. The moment she finished high school, she immediately enrolled in Stanford University in California. This was the place where she was able to earn her degree in Physics. This should not be surprising considering her inclination for sciences.
Becoming an astronaut
How did she become an astronaut? It started when NASA decided to look for women astronauts. This occurred in 1977. During that time, Sally Ride was still a student. However, the stumbled upon the ad in their school newspaper. The invitation to women got her fascinated. This was the reason why she applied in the astronaut program without any second thoughts at all. There were six of them picked and she was a part of it.
It was on June 18, 1983 when Sally Ride flew on the space. She was the very first woman to do this. She served as an astronaut in a space shuttle mission. During this time, her job was to work on a certain robotic arm. She utilized the mentioned arm so that satellites will also be given the help they need in the space. With this, she flew right on the space shuttle. This transpired in 1984.
Of course, like all good things, Sally Ride stopped serving NASA. This was witnessed in 1987. As this pace in her life unfolded, she became a teaching staff in the University of California. This is found in San Diego. Primarily, she began to look for ways in order for women to be helped. This was also meant for girls who have the desire to study mathematics and science. This triggered her to come up with this idea. She termed the said idea as NASA’s EarthKAM project. This is a chance for most middle school students to have a picture of the Earth taken. They did this with the aid of a camera. In the process, students were also given the chance to have the pictures studied.
The Astronaut Hall of Fame added Ride in their prestigious listing in 2003. This is a way for her work to be honored.
Ride died in July 23, 2012. This was the only time her lending hand to students was put to a halt. With this, her legacy is going to be remembered.