On this day in 1983, Dr. Sally Kristen Ride (1951–2012) made history as the first American woman in space, orbiting Earth for six days aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. As mission specialist, she deployed communications and test satellites.

“The thing I’ll remember most about the flight is that it was fun,” she said. “In fact, I’m sure it was the most fun that I’ll ever have in my life.”

A gifted athlete from California, she gave up tennis to pursue science and joined NASA to chase the stars.

“In high school, I had two teachers who encouraged me and gave me confidence,” she said. That belief carried her through Stanford, where she earned a doctorate in physics, and into the astronaut program—chosen from over 8,000 applicants.

She learned to fly jets, helped design the robotic arm, and logged 350 hours of space flight. “All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary,” she said. And she faced them with courage.

In 2000, she founded Sally Ride Science to support girls in math, science, and technology—“a business imperative for the country,” she believed.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” she once said, championing the importance of role models. She was one herself—lighting the way for others to reach for the stars.

“In twenty years,” she joked in 1999, “I may call NASA to see if they’ll give me a rocket trip to Mars.” Even after her space adventures, she continued to light the path for others—helping them reach for the stars with courage, kindness, and integrity.