Sally Ride blazed a trail across the stars that continues to inspire people around the world, USPS leaders and others said May 23 at the stamp dedication ceremony honoring the pioneering astronaut.
“Sally Ride’s history-making journey has made it easier for young girls to dream of one day being an astronaut, an engineer, a physicist or a mathematician,” said Chief Information Officer Kristin Seaver, who led the ceremony. “Today, girls don’t just dream. Because of trailblazers like Sally Ride, they have been empowered to do.”
Other speakers included Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and director of the Johnson Space Center; tennis star Billie Jean King, Ride’s friend; and Tam O’Shaughnessy, Ride’s longtime partner.
The stamp, which is available at Post Offices and usps.com, brings renewed attention to Ride, who made history June 18, 1983, when she traveled aboard the Challenger as it launched through Earth’s orbit.
She became the first American woman in space and spent the next six days working alongside her four crewmates, galvanizing the nation and inspiring people of all ages.
Ride later became a physics professor at the University of California San Diego, where the ceremony was held. She also founded Sally Ride Science, an organization that encourages girls and young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
Ride, who died in 2012, also was remembered as a lifelong philatelist who enjoyed collecting stamps about space exploration and the Olympics.
Said O’Shaughnessy: “Sally would be deeply honored to have her portrait on a U.S. stamp.”
