Dr sally ride nasa biography

Among questions about her training, she was also asked questions about how space was going to affect her ability to reproduce, and what kind of makeup she was going to take on the mission. She spent eight days conducting scientific observations of the Earth. She also worked on refueling techniques for shuttles. After her second mission, Ride worked on investigating the Challenger accident.

After the investigation, she took the role of special assistant to the NASA administrator for long range and strategic planning. She also worked as a physicist and physics professor at the University of California, San Diego. She passed away on July 23, after a month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was This article is for students k Sally Ride was the first American woman to fly in space.

For fun, she liked to run. She also played tennis, volleyball and softball. Ride wrote science books for children. The books are about exploring space. Sally Ride was born May 26,in California. Billearned a master's degree in education at the University of California, Los Angeles[2] : 4—6 and became a political science professor at Santa Monica College.

Inwhen she was nine years old, the family spent a year traveling in Europe. In Spain, Ride played tennis for the first time. Ride resolved to become an astrophysicist. She was interviewed by Fred Hargadonthe dean of admissions, who was impressed by both her mental and her tennis ability. She was admitted on a full scholarship. She played golf, and made Swarthmore's field hockey varsity team.

She won all six of her intercollegiate tennis matches, and became the Eastern Intercollegiate Women's Singles champion. She defended her title in Maywinning in straight sets. However, Ride was homesick for California, and before Title IXwomen's tennis was not well-supported at the college level; Swarthmore had four tennis courts but no indoor courts and she could not practice when it snowed.

After three semesters at Swarthmore, she returned to California in Januarywith the aim of becoming a professional tennis player.

Dr sally ride nasa biography

She was the only woman majoring in physics. She was romantically involved with the teaching assistantJohn Tompkins, but the relationship ended in September when he went to Moscow to conduct research at the Institute for High Energy Physics. Her foray into professional tennis was unsuccessful; after playing three matches in a single August morning her whole body ached the following day.

She realized that far more effort would be necessary in order to reach the required level of fitness: she needed to practice for eight hours a day. She concluded that she did not have what it took to be a professional tennis player. The tennis coach was eager to have her on the team, and by coincidence, Fred Hargadon was now the dean of admissions there.

He was once again instrumental in approving her admission. She graduated in with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature. Walker Jr. She returned to Earth on June The next year, Ride again served as a mission specialist on a space shuttle flight in October. She was scheduled to take a third trip, but it was canceled after the tragic Challenger accident on January 28,