Illustration of Sally Ride in NASA gear and a spaceship launching in the background

Illustrations by Berat Pekmezci; Shutterstock.com (background)

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Sally Ride

In 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American to travel to space. Dozens of other U.S. astronauts followed him over the next 20 years. All of them were men. 

Then in 1983, Sally Ride changed that. She blasted into history aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Ride led the way for other women to reach the stars. 

Big Dreams

Ride was born in Encino, California, in 1951. Growing up, she loved science and space. But at the time, not many women had jobs in science. And American women weren’t allowed to go to space. Still, Ride didn’t give up on her dreams. 

In 1977, Ride learned something exciting. NASA, the U.S. space agency, said women could apply to be astronauts. Ride applied and was chosen for astronaut training.

To Space and Beyond

In 1982, NASA announced Ride would be the first U.S. female astronaut. She would travel on a space shuttle. That reusable vehicle was attached to a rocket. It carried astronauts to space. 

Reporters asked Ride questions they didn’t ask men. They wanted to know if she would bring makeup to space. 

But Ride didn’t get angry. She focused on her job aboard the space shuttle. She ran experiments and launched a satellite before returning to Earth. 

Since Ride’s first voyage, more than 50 other American women have become astronauts. Ride, who died in 2012, was proud to lead the way.  

“You need to have that first person walk through the door before other people can follow them,” Ride told Scholastic News in 2008.

Historic Ride

Here’s a look at Sally Ride’s first flight on the space shuttle Challenger.

June 18, 1983: Kennedy Space Center, Florida: The crew begins its trip to the launchpad.


A crowd gathers to watch the historic moment.


The crew prepares for takeoff. Challenger blasts off.


Ride spends six days on the shuttle, orbiting Earth. 


  1. The article states that Ride was “proud to lead the way.” How did she lead the way?
  2. What is the main idea of the section “Big Dreams”?
  3. What are two words you would use to describe Ride? Explain your choices.
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