July 24, 201213 yr Sally Ride, first US woman in space, dead at 61. An inspiration to both boys and girls, and something I did not know until today, she was an out lesbian. Condolences to her family and partner. And as stated on other sites, astronauts are badass. Female astronauts even more so. Godspeed Sally.
July 24, 201213 yr Saw this earlier today and it made me quite sad. What a great scientist and role model! RIP Sally Ride.
July 24, 201213 yr Rest in Peace, Sally. I still regard the entire space program with a feeling of awe and am genuinely saddened by its current state.
July 24, 201213 yr NYTimes has a great obit. Speaking to reporters before the first shuttle flight, Dr. Ride — chosen in part because she was known for keeping her cool under stress — politely endured a barrage of questions focused on her sex: Would spaceflight affect her reproductive organs? Did she plan to have children? Would she wear a bra or makeup in space? Did she cry on the job? How would she deal with menstruation in space? The CBS News reporter Diane Sawyer asked her to demonstrate a newly installed privacy curtain around the shuttle’s toilet. On “The Tonight Show,” Johnny Carson joked that the shuttle flight would be delayed because Dr. Ride had to find a purse to match her shoes. At a NASA news conference, Dr. Ride said: “It’s too bad this is such a big deal. It’s too bad our society isn’t further along.”
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now