Astronaut Sally Ride Dies At Age 61

Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, died today of pancreatic cancer at the age of 61.

According to Sally Ride Science, her historic flight into space captured the nation's imagination and made her a household name. She became a symbol of the ability of women to break barriers and a hero to generations of adventurous young girls. After retiring from NASA, Sally used her high profile to champion a cause she believed in passionately--inspiring young people, especially girls, to stick with their interest in science, to become scientifically literate, and to consider pursuing careers in science and engineering. According to NASA, Ride was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978, and was a mission specialist on her historic ride on STS-7, which launched on June, 18, 1983.