Yesterday Sally Ride died. She had been the first American woman in space and as such she was an inspiration to girls and young women to achieve dreams of substance.

She was the opposite of the culture of airheads being famous for being famous, tweeting all the insipid moments of their lives and bleating to all the world about what's going wrong. She was famous for what she achieved and she didn't court publicity for herself. She worked hard and kept her private life private. I greatly admire her for all of that.

She had a PhD in astrophysics from Stanford University, but I loved the fact that for her undergraduate studies she did her degree in physics and English. When she left NASA she went into academia, but also founded a company that produces materials to interest and inspire children in science.

Peace, Sally Ride, and to those you left behind.

Sally Ride - obituary

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 07/24/12 07:51 PM.