RIP Sally Ride: Another Hero Lost

 

Sally Ride passed away today of pancreatic cancer. As the first American woman in space, as well as the youngest (32) and gay, her impact on history is undeniable. Amongst all of the writing on her life today, my favorite comes from PBS:


Sally Ride saw space as a tool for inspiring young people. She's a hard core scientist, she's an astrophysicist, she's a person who really was the real deal when it came to space science, and yet she never for a moment neglected or overlooked that this was a tool for inspiring a new generation. She wrote books aimed at that clientele, aimed at boys and girls, but primarily girls.

 

She saw space as a way to keep kids engaged in these subjects. She saw space as part of the overall well-being of our country. To her, bringing humans to space was in some ways a means to an end, in a way that it provided a means for young people to be engaged.

 

 

 

Check out a great video and tweets celebrating her life.

 

 

 

 

Reactions to the death of Sally Ride

Sally Ride passed away today of pancreatic cancer. As the first woman in space, as well as the youngest (32) and gay, her impact on history is undeniable.

Storified by Shareef Jackson · Mon, Jul 23 2012 21:36:12
First Female U.S. Astronaut, Sally Ride, Comes Out In Obituary http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/first-female-us-astronaut-sally-ride-comes-out via @BuzzFeedShareef Jackson
RT @CNET Sally Ride: Farewell to an American original (photos) http://cnet.co/LJLcAF #NASASocial #SpaceTweeps #NASATweetupA Geek Mom (Shannon)
Sally Ride, first U.S. woman in space, dies at 61 | http://ti.me/NQvdxKTIME.com
NASA statement on passing of Sally Ride: "In a space agency filled with trailblazers, Sally K. Ride was a pioneer of a different sort."CBS News
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space and a champion of women in science. Generations of Americans have lost a heroine today.D Wasserman Schultz
Dear cancer: FU for taking another remarkable person. #SallyRide was 32 when she went to space & died at 61. Imagine if she had more time.Linda Seid Frembes
I remember Sally Ride's thumbs up & smile as she strolled to climb into her rocket. Her smile said, "Hear me roar." RIPScott Simon
NASA: Sally Ride, America's first female astronaut, has died http://lsnlw.com/t/3268100685/Shareef Jackson
As the first woman in space, Sally Ride's life was marked by breaking barriers with courage and class. An inspiration for all #RIP #LegendNancy Pelosi
Rest in peace former astronaut #SallyRide.The first woman in space was truly an inspiration to all...Mary Benton