Sally Ride Research Paper

Sally Ride is most commonly known for being the first American women to travel to space, though this was an amazing accomplishment she has done so much more. Even Though she died on July 23, 2012 from pancreatic cancer, her legacy and story will live on through those who work with her and the people that look up to her

Sally Kristen Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Encino, California to Joyce and Dale Ride. Dale Ride was a political science professor, he was one of Sally Ride's biggest mentors and though he lacked knowledge in the field he helped Ride cultivate her interest (Saari 1997). She always found science and mathematics interesting and easy, and prospered in these subjects throughout her schooling. Though she started at Swarthmore

At first she was train as a mission specialist for the Space Transportation System (Saari 1997). She then became the ground communicator for two Columbia flights, she was the first women to ever hold this position. After this she began her intense training to become an astronaut, which included multiple simulations, having to wear a spacesuit underwater, and getting her jet pilot licences (Saari 1997). After all this she became an astronaut, specializing in the Remote Manipulator System, a robotic arm used to control objects outside the shuttle. Bob Crippen, who was a NASA pilot, asked to have Ride aboard his next mission. On June 18, 1983, on the space shuttle Challenger, Ride became the first American woman to ever fly in space. More than half million people watched the Challenger launching (Saari 1997). During the trip, Ride and John Fabian operated the shuttle's robotic arm, using it for the first time to deploy and retrieve a satellite (McKee 2012, 460). Crippen was offered two flights for the next year, and he said he only would accept if Ride would be on his crew. Ride served as the flight engineer again, and it was the first time a mission specialist made a second flight, this was also Ride's last flight (McKee 2012,