US Navy Honors Astronaut Sally Ride

Tuckerfan · Aug 10, 2014

Its newest research vessel named after the late astronaut, who was the first woman (and lesbian) in space.

The U.S. Navy has honored America's first woman in space, christening its newest research ship after the late astronaut Sally Ride.

Tam O'Shaughnessy, Ride's life partner and successor as chief executive officer at the science education company Sally Ride Science, broke the traditional champagne bottle across the bow of the R/V Sally Ride during the naming ceremony held at the Dakota Creek Industries shipyard in Anacortes, Washington on Saturday (Aug. 9).

"For the United States of America, I christen thee 'Sally Ride,'" O'Shaughnessy stated just before striking the bow. "May God bless this ship and all who sail in her."

Joining O'Shaughnessy at the event were Bear Ride, the astronaut's sister, and Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to conduct a spacewalk, who today serves as the undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administrator.
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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and the chief of naval research, Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, were also present for the ceremony.

Like its namesake, the R/V Sally Ride has blazed a new path for women as the country's first academic research vessel to be named for a female scientist and explorer.

"For decades to come, the men and women who will man this ship will look past the horizon, beyond man-made boundaries, searching, learning, and honoring the pioneer [it] is named after – the great Sally Ride," Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said in a statement.

Ride, who died in 2012, became famous for launching with the STS-7 crew on space shuttle Challenger in 1983. The first U.S. female astronaut to fly into space, she was only the third woman worldwide to orbit the Earth, following two Soviet-era cosmonauts, Valentina Tereshkova in 1963 and Svetlana Savitskaya in 1982.

After her second launch on the shuttle, Ride left NASA to become a physics professor and a champion for improving science education. She founded her own company, Sally Ride Science, to pursue her passion for motivating girls and young women to pursue careers in science, math and technology.

"I named the R/V Sally Ride to honor a great researcher, but also to encourage generations of students to continue exploring, discovering, and reaching for the stars," Mabus said.
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More at the link.

Lanzman · Aug 10, 2014

Umm . . . Sally Ride was not the first woman in space. Russian Valentina Tereshkova was. Ride was the first American woman in space.

Still, an excellent honor for her.

Forbin · Aug 10, 2014

Tuckerfan · Aug 10, 2014

Lanzman said: ↑

Umm . . . Sally Ride was not the first woman in space. Russian Valentina Tereshkova was. Ride was the first American woman in space.

Still, an excellent honor for her.
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Yeah, I was trying to create that post while holding a cat in one arm, so I missed putting in that she was the first American woman in space. (And supposedly, Valentina was little more than cargo on her mission, while Ride certainly did science on her missions.)

mburtonk · Aug 10, 2014

#lesbiansinspace

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US Navy Honors Astronaut Sally Ride

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US Navy Honors Astronaut Sally Ride

Tuckerfan BMF

Lanzman Vast, Cool and Unsympathetic Formerly Important

Forbin Do you feel fluffy, punk?

Tuckerfan BMF

mburtonk mburtonkulous

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