Sally Ride Photo Gallery

Photo copyright: NASA

Sally launched aboard the space shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983, becoming the first American woman to ever fly in space.

Here's how Sally describes the experience...

You feel like a 600-pound gorilla is sitting on top of you. Your arms feel like they’re made of lead. Your notebook feels like it weighs a ton. Then suddenly the Space Shuttle engines stop. The gorilla vanishes. Your arms are lighter than air and your notebook floats up in front of your face. You’re in space!