Sally Ride, Pioneering Astronaut, Dies at 61

"More than anything else, our venturing into space has taught us to appreciate Earth — it’s revolutionized our view of our planet and our understanding of its complexity, and made us see the impact that we’re having on it."

That was Sally Ride, reflecting on the famous Earthrise photo and what it meant to her. Sally Ride was like that herself, in the way that she taught us to look at ourselves. 

The first American woman in space, Ride was a media darling when she blasted into space in 1983 aboard Challenger, itself now gone except in the annals of space exploration history. 

One longtime observer went so far as to say that Ride was "to the shuttle era what Neil Armstrong is to Apollo."

She was a top-rate scientist (with her specialties including laser physics), and her expertise with the robotic arm was in part why she was chosen to fly on that 1983 mission. She operated the arm in a satellite retrieval mission.

At 32, she was the youngest American in space. When she and the rest of the Challenger crew took off on June 18, 1983, she was just five years removed from answering a newspaper ad for astronauts. She rose through the ranks to become one of the industry's most-respected and pioneering figures.

She flew again in 1984 and then retired after Challenger exploded. Ride was on the panel that investigated the Challenger disaster and, indeed, was the only person to be on both disaster panels, taking part in the Columbia investigation as well.

Many photos of her aboard the two spaceflights show her smiling. Ride had a sense of humor as well. She good-naturedly answered the loads of silly questions forced on her by journalists who couldn't wait to find out what color shoes she would be wearing in space. A keen athlete, she considered a career in tennis before deciding to focus more on physics (and English – she also claimed an English degree with a specialty in Shakespeare). No less a champion than Billie Jean King urged Ride to go pro, but she chose science instead and, when asked years later why she made the choice, said, "A bad forehand."

She accepted her role in life, as a role model for other young girls, and continued to promote science education, especially for girls, throughout the rest of her life. 

In her post-NASA days, Ride was a science fellow, a physics professor, a director of the California Space Institute, and the founder of a company. This last was Sally Ride Science, which provides science-oriented programs and materials to schools.

And yet the one thing that she wanted to do above all else, and the reason that she doggedly pursued a career as an astronaut, was fly. Trained as a pilot, she dreamed of going into space. She got her wish, twice.

Not even 30 years after her historic flight, Sally Ride is dead, the victim of pancreatic cancer. She will be missed but remembered, for her spirit, her smile, and her part in making history.