skip to main content

Sally Ride, 1951 - 2012

Remembering Dr. Sally Ride, the first US female astronaut, who inspired countless lives before her passing from pancreatic cancer.

Written byPhil Plait
| 1 min read
Follow on GoogleGoogle News Preferred Source
Placeholder image

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

Placeholder image showing Earth from space with an alert icon and the message ‘This image is no longer available.’

I'm sad to write that Dr. Sally Ride, the first US female astronaut to go into space, has died of pancreatic cancer. NASA has a wonderful page in tribute to this trailblazer, and there's little I can add to it. You can read about her many contributions to the space program on her official astronaut bio page. She was and will continue to be an inspiration to women and men across the world, and while she's gone too soon, I'm glad she was here - and making a difference - as long as she was. Image credit: NASA

Meet the Author

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe