Sally rides biography

Ride became the first American woman in space, when she launched with her four crewmates aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS With the advent of the space shuttle, NASA expanded astronaut selection from only pilots to scientists and engineers, and women became eligible for selection.

After completing astronaut training, the Class of astronauts became eligible for ground and flight assignments.

Sally rides biography

Her crewmates were Commander Robert L. Crippen, Pilot Frederick H. Thagard to the crew in January to conduct in-flight studies of space motion sickness, a condition that afflicted about one-third to one-half of all space travelers.

The SPAS satellite took some amazing photographs of Challenger as the two spacecraft flew in formation. Although originally planned to conduct the first shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center, inclement weather in Florida forced a diversion to Edwards Air Force Base in California.