Sally Ride

Hello. My name is Sally Ride. When I was a little girl growing up in sunny California, I loved to be active. I spent hours playing outside and became very good at tennis. But when I wasn't on the tennis court, I was looking up at the sky. I had a telescope, and at night, I would point it toward the moon and the twinkling stars. I dreamed about what it would be like to travel up there, to float among them and see our world from far away. Science felt like a giant puzzle, and I loved figuring out how things worked. My curiosity was as big as the night sky.

As I got older, I went to college to study science. I learned so much about physics, which is the science of how everything moves and works. One day, I was reading the school newspaper, and I saw an advertisement that made my heart beat like a drum. It was from NASA, the American space agency. They were looking for new astronauts. And for the very first time, they said women could apply, too. I thought, 'This is my chance.'. I filled out the application right away and sent it in, hoping for the best. Can you believe it? Out of thousands of people, they chose me in 1978. But getting chosen was just the beginning. I had to train for years to get ready for space. I learned how to fly super-fast jet planes, and I even practiced doing spacewalks in a giant swimming pool. It was hard work, but I was so excited for my dream to come true.

Finally, the big day arrived: June 18th, 1983. I climbed aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger with my fellow astronauts. My heart was pounding with excitement. Then came the countdown… three, two, one, BLAST OFF. The shuttle rumbled and roared like a powerful lion as it rocketed into the sky. Soon, everything was quiet, and I was floating. I was really in space. I looked out the window and saw our planet. Earth looked like a beautiful, glowing blue and white marble hanging in the dark. I became the very first American woman to see our world from space. It was the most amazing sight I had ever seen. Floating around inside the shuttle was so much fun, like being a superhero who could fly.

I was lucky enough to travel to space a second time. But when my space flights were over, I knew I had a new mission right here on Earth. I wanted to help kids, especially girls, discover how exciting science can be. I started a company to create fun science programs and books for students. My message to you is to always stay curious. Ask big questions about the world around you. Don't be afraid to try hard things, and never, ever stop reaching for your own stars. You never know just how far your dreams will take you.