..:: India Strategic ::.. Space: Sally Ride, First US woman astronaut, dies

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Editorial

Sally Ride, First US woman astronaut, dies

Published: July 2012

Washington D.C. Sally Ride, the first US woman astronaut, died of pancreatic cancer July 23. She was 61.

She went to space first aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1983, on June 18, and then once again. Significantly, she was part of review panel that examined the 1986 Challenger and 2003 Columbia disasters, and helped formulate some new parameters.

The quiet, graceful Sally, as she was popularly known in the space fraternity, dedicated her life to inspire young girls to opt for science, and regarded space ventures as a field of advanced sciences. She suffered from cancer for 17 months, but lived the life to fullest, according to her family members.

Sally, an educationist, opted for space training in 1978 along with some other women, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to look for doctors, scientists and specialists other than Air Force and military officers for space missions.

President Barack Obama paid her tributes, saying: “Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model. She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.”

Said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden: “The nation has lost one of its finest leaders, teachers and explorers. Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism — and literally changed the face of America’s space program.”