Sally Ride

1951 – 2012

Sally Kristen Ride was an American astronaut and physicist who in June 1983 became the first American woman in space and at age 32 the youngest American ever to fly in space, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-7. She flew a second mission in 1984 and later served on the presidential commissions investigating both the Challenger and Columbia accidents. After leaving NASA she founded Sally Ride Science to promote STEM education for girls, and following her death in 2012 she was posthumously identified as the first known LGBTQ astronaut.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM