Sally Ride, (1951— 2012), was an American astronaut and the first American woman to travel into outer space.

Ride showed great early promise as a tennis player, but she eventually gave up her plans to play professionally and attended Stanford University, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in English and physics (1973). In 1978, as a doctoral candidate and teaching assistant in laser physics at Stanford, she was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as one of six women astronaut candidates. She received a Ph.D. in astrophysics and began her training and evaluation courses that same year. In August 1979 she completed her NASA training, obtained a pilot’s license, and became eligible for assignment as a U.S. space shuttle mission specialist.

In 1983, she became the first American woman in space while rocketing into orbit aboard the shuttle orbiter Challenger.

From the 1990s Ride initiated or headed a number of programs and organizations devoted to fostering science in education, particularly to providing support for schoolgirls interested in science, mathematics, or technology.

She also wrote or collaborated on several children’s books about space exploration and her personal experiences as an astronaut.

In 2013 she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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