Sally Ride

Hello there. My name is Sally Ride, and I had the amazing adventure of becoming the first American woman to travel into space. But before I ever touched the stars, I was just a curious kid growing up in Los Angeles, California. I was born on May 26th, 1951. From a young age, my mind was always buzzing with questions. I would look at the sky, the trees, or even a simple toy and wonder, 'How does that work?'. Luckily, my parents always encouraged me to ask 'why?'. They filled our home with books and a telescope, letting my imagination run wild. I wasn't only interested in science, though. I loved sports. I spent hours on the tennis court, practicing my swing until it was perfect. I even became a nationally ranked tennis player. For me, life wasn't about choosing just one thing to love; it was about exploring everything that fascinated me. When it was time for college, I went to a wonderful place called Stanford University. It was there that my love for science grew even stronger. I decided to study physics, which is the science of how everything in the universe moves and works, from the tiniest particles to the biggest galaxies. I loved solving tricky physics problems; they felt like puzzles just waiting to be figured out. I had no idea that solving those puzzles was preparing me for the greatest adventure of my life.

One day, while I was busy studying at Stanford, I saw something in the student newspaper that made my heart leap. It was an advertisement from NASA. They were looking for new astronauts to join the space shuttle program. I had always been fascinated by space exploration, but it had always been a job for men. This time, however, the ad said something new and exciting: for the very first time, women were invited to apply. I could hardly believe it. A door that had always been closed was suddenly wide open. I felt a rush of excitement mixed with a little bit of nervousness. Could I really become an astronaut? I decided I had to try. I filled out the application and sent it in, joining a crowd of more than 8,000 other people who also dreamed of going to space. The selection process was long and difficult. We had to go through intense interviews and tough physical and mental tests. The doctors and scientists at NASA wanted to make sure we were ready for the challenges of spaceflight. Finally, in 1978, I got the news I had been waiting for. I was chosen to be one of NASA’s new astronauts. I was going to learn how to fly into space.

After years of intense training, the day I had dreamed of finally arrived. It was June 18th, 1983, and I was strapped into my seat aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. The final seconds of the countdown felt like an eternity. Ten, nine, eight. Then, with a tremendous roar that shook my entire body, the engines fired, and we blasted off into the bright blue sky. The feeling was incredible. As we climbed higher and higher, I was pushed back into my seat by the powerful force. Soon, the ride smoothed out, and I experienced something magical: zero gravity. I was floating. I could do somersaults in the air and drift from one side of the cabin to the other. The best part, though, was looking out the window. I saw our planet, Earth, hanging in the blackness of space like a beautiful, swirling blue marble. It was more amazing than any picture I had ever seen. My job on that mission was to operate a giant robotic arm. I used it to release a satellite into orbit and then, a few days later, catch it again. It took a lot of focus, like playing a very careful video game. I flew into space a second time in 1984, and the wonder of it never faded.

My time as an astronaut was a dream come true, but my journey didn't end when my spaceflights did. A few years later, a terrible tragedy happened when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart during a launch in 1986. It was a very sad time for NASA and the whole country. I was asked to be part of the team that investigated the accident to find out what went wrong. It was a difficult job, but I knew it was important to help make spaceflight safer for future astronauts. After I left NASA, I found a new mission right here on Earth. I wanted to share my love for science and encourage young people, especially girls, to explore it. I knew that sometimes girls didn't think science or engineering was for them, and I wanted to change that. With my partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, I started a company called Sally Ride Science. We created fun books and science camps to show kids how exciting science can be. My life ended on July 23rd, 2012, after a battle with an illness, but I hope my story continues to inspire you. Looking back, I see that curiosity is a powerful thing. It can take you from asking 'why?' in your backyard to floating among the stars. So, never stop asking questions, and never be afraid to reach for your own stars.