In 1983, Sally Ride, '73, MS '75, PhD '78, became the first American woman lofted into space. The breakthrough paved the way for other female astronauts from Stanford, including the first African-American woman in space, Mae Jemison; the first Hispanic woman in space, Ellen Ochoa; the first American military woman in space, Susan Helms; and the first woman shuttle pilot, Eileen Collins.
Ride, a physicist who now heads the California Space Institute at UC-San Diego, never wanted to call attention to her status as the first American female with the Right Stuff. "I don't have a great desire to be the first woman," Ride said before her historic flight aboard the shuttle Challenger. "It is too bad that our society isn't further along and this has to be such a big deal." Fifteen years and 28 women astronauts later, Ride can take satisfaction: Space travel is still a big deal--but no more so for women than men.
