Dr. Sally Ride was born on May 26, 1951.  She joined NASA in 1977.  Though Dr. Ride made many contributions to NASA such as helping to design the remote mechanical arm used by shuttle crews to deploy and retrieve satellites, she made her biggest impact on history by being the first American woman in space.  This occurred in 1983 on the shuttle Challenger (STS-7).  Her next mission was in 1984 on Challenger (STS-41G).  Her cumulative hours in space are more than 343.  She was in training for another mission when the horrific Challenger explosion in 1986 suspended training.  After leaving NASA in 1987, Dr. Ride became the director of the California Space Institute and is currently involved in many projects directed toward getting young girls involved in science and math.  She has also written and/or collaborated on five children's books.  Her awards include:  the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Women's Research and Education Institute's American Woman Award, twice awarded the National Spaceflight Medal, and was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center on June 21,2003.