Feb 21, 2008 11:26 pm US/Pacific
Whatever Happened To Sally Ride?
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NASA Astronaut Sally Ride in 1983 became the first America woman to reach outer space.
AP
She captivated the nation and the world almost 25 years ago, as the first American woman in space. Today, Sally Ride is out of the limelight, but still passionate about space and science. We caught up with former astronaut Sally Ride.
June 18, 1983, the launch aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger cemented her place in history. Born in Encino, Sally Kristen Ride became an instant role model after breaking barriers as the first American woman in space. She was just 32-years old.
"Right after my first flight, everybody recognized me and I didn't like that," Ride said.
We recently sat down with her for an in-depth interview.
"I knew it was important for me to do a good job while I was in space, so I was very much aware of that and the responsibility I was carrying," Ride said.
Sally Ride wasn't thinking of the fame or the responsibility when she applied to the NASA program. She was still a grad student at Stanford University, just a couple of months away from getting her PhD in astrophysics.
Then she saw an ad in the "Stanford Daily," the student newspaper.
"I literally applied that afternoon," Ride said.
As the press and the world became enamored with the female astrophysicist, Ride fought against a double-edged sword.
After two space flights, the Southern California brunette sought a quiet life out of the spotlight, teaching physics at UCSD. She recently retired from being an active professor.
As the first American woman in space, Ride admits it was tough having her accomplishments overshadowed by her gender.
"I had an unbelievable opportunity to do something very few people had a chance to do," Ride said. "There ought to be a way use that to help encourage girls growing up today… to help encourage them and do what they want to do."
She's written several children's books.
"We focus on upper elementary and middle school," Ride said.
She's passionate as ever about keeping kids, especially young girls, interested in science. Today, she runs Sally Ride Science, a La Jolla company that produces classroom materials for elementary and middle school.
It may have been a quarter century since she paved the way for women, but Ride says girls are still at a disadvantage when it comes to careers in science.
"The world has changed a lot, but on the other hand, it hasn't changed much," Ride said.
In total, Ride spent nearly 350 hours in space. She is the only person to have served on the special panels appointed to investigate both the Challenger and Columbia disasters.
If you would like to see more of the interview, watch the videos accompanying this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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