Twitter Mourns Death Of Sally Ride, First American Female Astronaut

Ride’s official astronaut portrait. Via NASA.com

Sally Ride, remembered fondly as the first American woman in space, died on Monday at the age of 61. The Wall Street Journal reports that she died after a 17-month bout with pancreatic cancer. Sally Ride Science, where Ride was president and CEO, posted a photograph of the astronaut during one of her voyages into space their website, with text above the photo reading, “Sally Kristen Ride, Ph.D. 1951 – 2012.” Founded in 2001, Sally Ride Science is an educational program created to foster children’s interested in science, technology and engineering. She is being remembered as a hero and trailblazer for women, and an idol for hundreds of little girls who aspire to be astronauts. According to NASA.com, she became the first woman in space when she launched with the crew of the Challenger on June 18, 1983. After spending time as an astronaut, she would go on to serve as a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego, and director of the University of California’s California Space Institute.

One of the people who mourned Ride on Twitter was fellow astronaut Jose Hernandez.

Saddened to hear about astronaut Sally Ride’s passing. A true American hero and a great loss to our country.She was an amazing woman!

— Jose Hernandez (@Astro_Jose) July 23, 2012

NASA’s official Twitter handle also shared some thoughts along with an extensive obituary.

“Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism – and literally changed the face of America’s space program.” 1.usa.gov/LIQQhD

— NASA (@NASA) July 23, 2012

Others memorialized Ride and sent their condolences.

Sally Ride was much more than the first US woman in space. She was on Challenger, Columbia and Augustine panels. Unparalleled.

— Miles O’Brien (@milesobrien) July 23, 2012

#Obama calls Sally Ride ‘a national hero and a powerful role model’ who ‘inspiredgenerations of young girls to reach for the stars.’

— edatpost (@edatpost) July 23, 2012

Sally Ride just died. Man.I think of her as a young woman.She was 61.

— geneweingarten (@geneweingarten) July 23, 2012

Rest in Peace Sally Ride

— Christopher Metzler (@DrMetzler) July 23, 2012

RIP Sally Ride #Pioneer

— Mona (@Shopaholic_918) July 23, 2012

RIP Sally Ride. Trailblazer. #NASA #Space

— Kevin Quinn (@kquinn001) July 23, 2012

RIP Sally Ride. broke down barriers…had the chance to meet her a few years ago…amazing woman. she will be missed.

— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) July 23, 2012

Sally Ride was a class act, first American woman to fly in space, in June 1983.She died this morning from pancreatic cancer.

— Lisa Stark(@LisaStark) July 23, 2012

RIP Sally Ride. Admired you for decades. Thank u for being a role model for all the little girls who wanted to be astronauts & dreamed big!

— Bryn Johnson (@BrynJohnson) July 23, 2012

RIP, Sally Ride. You kicked a lot of ass.

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) July 23, 2012

RIP, Sally Ride, scientist, astronaut, and trailblazer.

— Michael Schaub (@michaelschaub) July 23, 2012

“Sally Ride died peacefully July 23, 2012 after a courageous 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.”

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) July 23, 2012

Godspeed, Sally Ride. marketwatch.com/story/sally-kr…

— Sarah Weinman (@sarahw) July 23, 2012