Sally Ride (NASA photo/file)
HOUSTON (July 23, 2012)?Sally Ride, 61, who made NASA history in 1983 when she became the first U.S. woman to fly in space, died Monday after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
?Sally lived her life to the fullest, with boundless energy, curiosity, intelligence, passion, joy, and love. Her integrity was absolute; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless,? a posting on her website said.
"Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism and literally changed the face of America?s space program," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.
?The nation has lost one of its finest leaders, teachers and explorers.?
?She will be missed, but her star will always shine brightly."
Steve Hawley, the veteran astronaut who was married to Ride from 1982 until 1987, issued a statement in which he said he ?was privileged to be part of her life.?
"Sally was a very private person who found herself a very public persona,? he said.
?It was a role in which she was never fully comfortable.?
?While she never enjoyed being a celebrity, she recognized that it gave her the opportunity to encourage children, particularly young girls, to reach their full potential,? he said.
?Sally Ride, the astronaut and the person, allowed many young girls across the world to believe they could achieve anything if they studied and worked hard. I think she would be pleased with that legacy,? said Hawley, who left NASA in 2008 after five space shuttle flights and who?s now a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.
The president and first lady issued a statement late Monday afternoon expressing sadness at the news of Ride?s death.
?As the first American woman to travel into space, Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,? the statement said.
?She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars and later fought tirelessly to help them get there by advocating for a greater focus on science and math in our schools. Sally?s life showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve and I have no doubt that her legacy will endure for years to come,? the statement said.
Ride began her career as an astronaut after answering a NASA newspaper ad in 1978 seeking applicants for the space program.
She was one of only 35 people and just one of six women accepted out of more than 8,000 applicants.
On June 18, 1983, at the age of 32, she became the first U.S. woman to fly in space as she lifted off aboard the shuttle Challenger.
?The fact that I was going to be the first American woman to go into space carried huge expectations along with it,? Ride recalled in an interview for the 25th anniversary of her flight in 2008.
?That was made pretty clear the day that I was told I was selected as a crew. I was taken up to Chris Kraft?s office. He wanted to have a chat with me and make sure I knew what I was getting into before I went on the crew. I was so dazzled to be on the crew and go into space I remembered very little of what he said,? she recalled.
She flew aboard the Challenger a second time in 1984.
When Challenger exploded in 1986, she was asked to help investigate the accident.
After leaving NASA in 1989, Ride joined the faculty of the University of California, San Diego as professor of physics and director of the University of California?s California Space Institute.
In 2001, she founded Sally Ride Science to encourage girls to pursue careers in science.
The program for elementary and middle schools was aimed at creating more innovative ways to spark children's interests in the sciences.
She also wrote several children's books as part of her effort to educate children about science.
Born on May 26, 1951 in Los Angeles, Ride became a nationally ranked tennis player on the junior circuit.
She earned undergraduate degrees in physics and English and graduate degrees in physics from Stanford University.
Ride was to have spoken in April 2011 in Waco as part of McLennan Community College Distinguished Lecture Series, but the appearance was canceled.
No explanation for the cancellation was provided at the time.
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