Sally Ride
Physicist, Astronaut
1951 – 2012
Who was Sally Ride?
Sally Kristen Ride was an American physicist and astronaut. Born in Los Angeles, Ride joined NASA in 1978 and, at the age of 32, became the first American woman in space. After flying twice on the space shuttle Challenger, she left NASA in 1987. She worked for two years at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Arms Control, then the University of California, San Diego as a professor of physics, primarily researching non-linear optics and Thomson scattering. She served on the committees that investigated the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters, the only person to participate on both. Ride remains the youngest American astronaut to travel to space.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- May 26, 1951
Los Angeles - Also known as
- Sally Kristen Ride
- Sally K. Ride
- Parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Steven Hawley
(1982/07/24 - 1987/05/14) - Tam O'Shaughnessy
(1985 - 2012/07/23)
- Steven Hawley
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Education
- Bachelor of Science, Stanford University
Physics
( - 1973) - Bachelor of Arts, Stanford University
English
( - 1973) - Master of Science, Stanford University
Physics
( - 1975) - Doctorate, Stanford University
Physics
( - 1978) - Swarthmore College
- Portola Middle School
- Harvard-Westlake School
- Bachelor of Science, Stanford University
- Employment
- Astronaut Candidate, NASA
(1978 - 1979) - Mission Specialist, NASA
(1979 - 1986) - Professor of Physics, University of California, San Diego
(1989 - 2001) - Special Assistant to the Administrator, NASA
(1986 - 1989) - President and CEO, Sally Ride Science
(2001 - )
- Astronaut Candidate, NASA
- Died
- Jul 23, 2012
La Jolla
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Sally Ride." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/sally_ride>.
Discuss this Sally Ride biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In