(a space kween.)

Even though Women’s History Month is over (is it ever REALLY over though? Let’s hear it for ladies!), I still feel very much obliged to write about a revolutionary not only in space travel, but also women’s history.

Here’s a little backstory without being too boring (in another list!)

• Sally was born May 26, 1951. (…she was a Gemini.)
• She was a major athlete before becoming an astronaut, playing tennis, volleyball, softball, and running track.
• Sally was a Stanford graduate, earning a doctorate in physics. (She will now be referred to as Dr. Ride.)
• NASA only began looking for women astronauts in 1977, and Dr. Ride was one of six women to be picked. She actually saw the job offering in a school newspaper.
• On June 18, 1983, Dr. Ride became the first woman to go into space. (Cool fact for someone whose birthday is that day, just saying.)
• In basic terms, Sally’s job was to operate a robotic arm and launch satellites into space.
• After leaving NASA in 1987, she joined the staff of the University of California to be a Professor of Physics. (…and the Director of the University’s Space Institute, but no biggie, right?)
• For all the girls of science, Sally was STEM advocate! She started Sally Ride Science to motivate girls to pursue careers in math, science, and technology.
• Dr. Ride also wrote, among other things, five children’s science books!
• Dr. Ride received many awards, but she was truly honored for her space career by being inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2003.

Here’s to women in science!