Sally Ride Photos

Sally Kristen Ride was an American physicist and astronaut.Ride joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman to enter space. As of 2012, Ride also remains the youngest American astronaut to be launched into space at the age of 32. In 1987, she left NASA to work at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Arms Control.Ride served on the investigation panels for two space shuttle accidents, those of Challenger and Columbia, the only person to serve on both.

Astronaut Sally Ride, mission specialist on STS-7, monitors control panels from the pilot's chair on the flight deck of the Space Shuttle Challenger

Sally Ride during STS-7 crew training in the shuttle mission simulator (SMS)

Read more »