Yes, I did feel a special responsibility to be the first American woman in space. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
One thing I probably share with everyone else in the astronaut office is composure. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
There are aspects of being the first woman in space that I'm not going to enjoy. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
The rockets light! The shuttle leaps off the launch pad in a cloud of steam and a trail of fire. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
Well, we spend an awful lot of our time working and doing experiments. It's very busy up on the shuttle. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
But even in elementary school and junior high, I was very interested in space and in the space program. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
Some astronauts sleep in sort of beds - compartments that you can open up and crawl into and then close up, almost… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
NASA has to approve whatever we wear, so there are clothes to choose from, like space shorts - we wear those a… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
On a standard space shuttle crew, two of the astronauts have a test pilot background - the commander and the pilot. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
“When you’re getting ready to launch into space, you’re sitting on a big explosion just waiting to happen.” — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
I can't remember a single time [my parents] ever told me not to do something I wanted to do. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
It was a real honor for me to get to be the first woman astronaut. I think it's really important that young… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
If they asked me if I wanted to go into space tomorrow, I'd do it in a heartbeat. On the other hand,… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
I've discovered that half the people would love to go into space and there's no need to explain it to them. The… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
Astronauts will remain the explorers, the pioneers-the first to go back to moon and on to Mars. But I think it's really… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
When the space shuttle's engines cut off, and you're finally in space, in orbit, weightless... I remember unstrapping from my seat, floating… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
So most astronauts getting ready to lift off are excited and very anxious and worried about that explosion - because if something… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
You can picture pretty easily if there were a paying passenger aboard a rocket that failed, like Challenger failed. Certainly it would… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
The pressure suit helps if something goes wrong during launch or re-entry - astronauts have a way to parachute off the shuttle.… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
It was hard to become an astronaut. Not anywhere near as much physical training as people imagine, but a lot of mental… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
There's a huge amount of pressure on every astronaut, because when you get right down to it, the experiments that are conducted… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
Eventually private enterprise will be able to send people into orbit, but I suspect initially it's going to have to be with… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
The most important steps that I followed were studying math and science in school. I was always interested in physics and astronomy… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
Anything from making a mistake on an experiment that would ruin some scientist on earth's experiment - career, potentially - to doing… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
The view of earth is spectacular from space. Most people imagine that when astronauts look out the window of the shuttle they… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
I think eventually private enterprise will be able to send people into orbit, but I suspect initially it's going to have to… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
I do a lot of running and hiking, and I also collect stamps - space stamps and Olympics stamps. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
The thing I'll remember most about the flight is that it was fun. In fact, I'm sure it was the most fun… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
My background is in physics, so I was the mission specialist, who is sort of like the flight engineer on an airplane. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
Even though NASA tries to simulate launch, and we practice in simulators, it's not the same - it's not even close to… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
After the Challenger accident, NASA put in a lot of time to improve the safety of the space shuttle to fix the… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
The experience of being in space didn't change my perspective of myself or of the planet or of life. I had no… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
Then during the mission itself, I used the space shuttle's robot arm to release a satellite into orbit. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
I slept just floating in the middle of the flight deck, the upper deck of the space shuttle. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
So most astronauts are astronauts for a couple of years before they are assigned to a flight. — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
I love the John Glenn model... I may call NASA in 25 years or so, and see if they'd like to send… — Sally Ride Copy Share Image
No, I think most astronauts recognize that the space shuttle program is very high-risk, and are prepared for accidents. — Sally Ride Copy Share
The view of earth is spectacular from space. Most people imagine that when astronauts look out the window of the shuttle they see the… — Sally Ride Copy Share
I was always very interested in science, and I knew that for me, science was a better long-term career than tennis. — Sally Ride Copy Share
Anything from making a mistake on an experiment that would ruin some scientist on earth's experiment - career, potentially - to doing something wrong… — Sally Ride Copy Share
Women make up only 25 percent of the science, engineering and technology workforce... We are delighted to be working with NASA Ames to give… — Sally Ride Copy Share
Then during the mission itself, I used the space shuttle's robot arm to release a satellite into orbit. — Sally Ride Copy Share
I think eventually private enterprise will be able to send people into orbit, but I suspect initially it's going to have to be with… — Sally Ride Copy Share
It's easy to sleep floating around - it's very comfortable. But you have to be careful that you don't float into somebody or something! — Sally Ride Copy Share
There are lots of opportunities out there for women to work in these fields, ... Girls just need support, encouragement and mentoring to follow… — Sally Ride Copy Share
I would like to be remembered as someone who was not afraid to do what she wanted to do, and as someone who took… — Sally Ride Copy Share
It takes a couple of years just to get the background and knowledge that you need before you can go into detailed training for… — Sally Ride Copy Share
Studying whether there's life on Mars or studying how the universe began, there's something magical about pushing back the frontiers of knowledge. That's something… — Sally Ride Copy Share
![“I can't remember a single time [my parents] ever told me not to do something I wanted to do.” quote by Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/0d7/sally-ride-5884_i-can_i-can-t-remember-a-single-time-my-parent_1572598.png)
