Sally Ride
Sally Ride
Sally Kristen Ridewas an American physicist and astronaut. Born in Los Angeles, she joined NASA in 1978 and became the first American woman in space in 1983. She remains the youngest American astronaut to have traveled to space, having done so at the age of 32. After flying twice on the Orbiter Challenger, she left NASA in 1987. She worked for two years at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Arms Control, then at the University of California, San...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAstronaut
Date of Birth26 May 1951
CityLos Angeles, CA
CountryUnited States of America
So most astronauts are astronauts for a couple of years before they are assigned to a flight.
That's something that is almost part of being human and I'm certain that will continue.
It's too bad our society isn't further along.
Ever been to Disneyland? That was definitely an E ticket!
I can't remember a single time [my parents] ever told me not to do something I wanted to do.
The experience of being in space didn't change my perspective of myself or of the planet or of life. I had no spiritual experience.
The fact that I was going to be the first American woman to go into space carried huge expectations along with it.
Weightless is a great equalizer.
I did not come to NASA to make history.
Well, we spend an awful lot of our time working and doing experiments. It's very busy up on the shuttle.
My parents must have done a great job. Anytime I wanted to pursue something that they weren't familiar with, that was not part of their lifestyle, they let me go ahead and do it.
Once you are assigned to a flight, the whole crew is assigned at the same time, and then that crew trains together for a whole year to prepare for that flight.
So most astronauts getting ready to lift off are excited and very anxious and worried about that explosion - because if something goes wrong in the first seconds of launch, there's not very much you can do.
The pressure suit helps if something goes wrong during launch or re-entry - astronauts have a way to parachute off the shuttle. The suits protect you from loss of pressure in case of emergency.