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Sally K. Ride, Ph.D.
Leadership and America's Future in Space
As
America's first woman in space, an author of three books, and a leader
of President Reagan's Commission investigating the space shuttle
Challenger accident, there is no one more qualified to discuss the past
and future of space exploration than Sally Ride. In this fascinating
presentation, Dr. Ride utilizes breathtaking slides and videos she took
on her two trips in space to describe the benefits of space exploration
and of the future of the space program.
Sally Ride, former NASA Astronaut, and
America’s first woman in space, was born on May 26, 1951 in Los Angeles,
California. She graduated from Stanford University in 1973 with a
Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts in English. She
also received her Master of Science and Doctorate degrees in Physics
from Stanford in 1975 and 1978.
Dr. Ride was selected for astronaut training
in 1978, and reported to NASA in July of that year. As part of her
training, she was a member of the support crew for both the second and
third space shuttle flights, and worked in mission control as a capsule
communicator (CAPCOM) for those two missions.
Dr. Ride flew in space twice. Her first
flight was aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1983. The flight,
Mission STS-7, was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June
18. During the mission, the five-member crew deployed communications
satellites performed the first satellite deployment and retrieval with
the shuttle's robot arm, and conducted materials and pharmaceutical
research. The flight was in orbit for 6 days (147 hours), returning to
Earth on June 24, 1983.
Dr. Ride's second spaceflight was also
aboard Challenger, on STS-41G (the thirteenth space shuttle flight), in
October 1984. During their 8-day mission, the crew deployed the Earth
Radiation Budget satellite, conducted scientific observations of the
Earth, and demonstrated the potential for satellite refueling by
astronauts.
In June 1985, Dr. Ride was assigned to a
third space shuttle flight. Training for that flight was interrupted in
January 1986 by the space shuttle Challenger accident. For the next six
months she served as a member of the Presidential Commission
investigating the accident. Upon completion of the investigation, Dr.
Ride was assigned to NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. to lead
NASA’s planning. In this role she created NASA’s Office of Exploration
and produced a report on the future of the space program entitled
Leadership and America's Future in Space. She later also served on the
Columbia Accident Investigation Board, and is the only person to serve
on both space shuttle accident investigations.
Dr. Ride has written five books, To Space
and Back, Voyager: An Adventure to the Edge of The Solar System, The
Third Planet: Exploring The Earth From Space, The Mystery of Mars and
her latest book, Exploring Our Solar System.
Dr. Ride is currently a professor of physics
at the University of California, San Diego and CEO of Imaginary Lines,
Inc. Imaginary Lines, also known as Sally Ride Science develops programs
and publishes materials aimed at encouraging more young girls of middle
school age to pursue math and science. Dr. Ride has been inducted into
the National Woman’s Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, and is
a former member of the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and
Technology. She has received numerous awards including the Jefferson
Award for Public Service, the von Braun Award, and the Lindbergh Eagle.
She has twice been awarded the National Spaceflight Medal.
Dr. Ride is exclusively represented by the Washington Speakers
Bureau.
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