Sally Ride, first U.S. woman in space, dies at 61

[Are_grits_groceries]

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, has died of cancer at age 61, her organization has announced.

On June 18, 1983, Ride was 32 when she launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Ride, a physicist, helped develop the shuttle's robotic arm.

She was one of 8,000 people who responded to a newspaper advertisement seeking NASA applicants. She joined the space agency in 1978 and left in 1987.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/07/sally-ride-first-us-woman-in-space-dies-at-61/1#.UA3CUWt5mK0

Ride, Sally, Ride! All the way home........

[SidDithers]

1. Wow. Not until 1983...

twenty years after Valentina Tereshkova.

Condolences to her family.

Sid

[TheMightyFavog]

20. And after Tereshkova, the Soviets would not put another woman in space until after Ride...

That aside, I hope Tereshkova can attend the funeral.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. RIP, Sally. You were an inspiration to a generation of young girls like myself!

[lunatica]

3. Oh no!

This is upsetting! She was only 61.

[rl6214]

4. That's a shame

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Oh geez....

R.I.P. for a pioneer and condolences to her family.

[xchrom]

6. may Peace be with her family and friends.

[Ezlivin]

7. R.I.P.

On to your next adventure, Ms. Ride!

[redwitch]

9. What a great response!

I second it. On to your next adventure Ms. Ride!

[kwassa]

8. All you want to do is ride around, Sally, ride Sally Ride!

(lyrics to Mustang Sally)

Much too early to die, but she had quite a distinguished career. Pancreatic cancer is tough.

and one of our local schools is named after her.

[myrna minx]

10. She was such an inspiration. May she rent in peace.

[kestrel91316]

11. She inspired ME. After her flight, I went so far as to get an application for

mission specialist from NASA and filled the whole thing out. I had only been in practice a year. I did some serious thinking and realized that if I went forward with it and got picked, I would not have the career I had worked so hard to achieve: being a private practice veterinarian. I couldn't turn my back on that.

If we could live two lives, my second life would have been in aviation or aerospace. I guess I'm my father's daughter (he was career USAF).

[oldhippie]

12. A life lived .....

... good and true.

[jimlup]

13. Wow! Time flies! RIP

Jez this one surprises me. I guess pancreatic cancer is quite deadly.

[joeybee12]

14. Aw, that sucks...way too young...

RIP, Sally.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

15. What a shame and so young

She inspired a generation of women.

[Fumesucker]

16. ...

[Stinky The Clown]

23. Thanks for that!

[uppityperson]

17. RIP Sally and thank you for continuing your space quest.

[Ilsa]

18. They are exposed to alot more

Radiation in space, aren't they?

What a terrible loss. I admired this brilliant pioneer.

[hfojvt]

19. Now I wonder about this

It seems she was gay, as the article mentions - her partner of 27 years, Tam O'Shaughnessy.

NASA is generally part of the US military and this was even before DADT. She "retired" in 1987, at the age of 46. Who retires at only age 46?

Her partner of 27 years, means they began their relationship in 1985.

Perhaps discovered in 1986 or 1987, and quietly forced into retirement? I mean, as a celebrity, she could not be publicly fired.

Just a theory.

[TheMightyFavog]

22. Didn't she leave NASA because the Challenger investigatiom take a lot out of her.?

She was on the panel that investigated the disaster. After all the shit that came out after that report, I don't blame her for leaving NASA.

[Kennah]

25. NASA is a civilian agency, not part of DOD

A lot of astronauts do have a military background.

[Kaleva]

26. One just needs 20 years in to retire. Join at 18 and retire at age 38.

[DirkGently]

21. "Ride, Sally, Ride!" Excellent.

[burrowowl]

24. Sad for her Partner and Family

Ride in Peace and Beauty, Sally!