June 18, 1983: Sally Ride Becomes First American Woman in Space
On this day in 1983, at the age of 32, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Her voyage came 20 years after Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. After the voyage, Sally Ride received many honors for her contributions to the field of science and space exploration.
In May 2012, Sally Ride became the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
On July 23, 2012, Sally Ride died at the age of 61 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Visit PBS NewsHour to learn more about Sally Ride.
Photo: Courtesy of NASA
