Published June 19, 2025
By : Staff Writer
On June 18, 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman to travel to space. According to a post that NASA shared on social media, Ride launched alongside four crewmates on STS-7, the second flight of space shuttle Challenger.
The crew deployed two satellites and conducted research in biology, chemistry, and human health during their six-day stay in orbit.
Ride joined the NASA astronaut corps in 1978 with five other women (and 29 men); she flew two missions in space before leaving NASA in 1987, going on to direct the California Space Institute at the University of California, San Diego.
An astrophysicist, Ride joined NASA in 1978 and spent more than 343 hours in space throughout two missions.
She was a lifelong supporter of space exploration.
Ride passed away in 2012 at the age of 61.
In one iconic image, Ride floats gently as she sits in the front seat of the space shuttle Challenger. Light from the shuttle window on the left illuminates Ride's face and upper body; Ride is wearing a blue polo shirt, with a watch on her left arm. The shuttle around her is filled with consoles and control panels.
During Women's History Month in 2018, the office of the US Postmaster General led a First-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the Sally Ride Forever stamp at the University of California, San Diego.
Some of the guests at the event included Billie Jean King, tennis legend, and friend of Sally Ride; Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic woman in space, and friend of Sally Ride; the Sally Ride Science office at University of California San Diego, and the widow of Sally Ride.
Riding into orbit 👩🚀
— NASA (@NASA) June 18, 2025
On June 18, 1983—42 years ago today—astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman to travel to space. Ride and her crewmates deployed two satellites and conducted scientific research during their six days in orbit aboard space shuttle Challenger. pic.twitter.com/cuJ30fqhBH
