First US woman in space, Sally Ride, dies at 61 - Technology & science - Space - NBCNews.com. The first American woman to go into space, Sally Ride, died Monday after a 17-month battle against pancreatic cancer, her company said. Ride made history in 1983 as a crew member on the space shuttle Challenger, breaking the gender barrier for U.S. spaceflight. Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in 1963, but it took another 20 years for NASA to follow suit.
Word of Ride's death came in an announcement from Sally Ride Science, the educational venture she founded after leaving NASA. President Barack Obama said he and his wife, Michelle, were "deeply saddened" by the news. "As the first American woman to travel into space, Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model," Obama said in a White House statement. NASA's leaders issued tributes as well.
"Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism — and literally changed the face of America's space program," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. More tributes stream in: 'Ride, Sally, Ride' Reaper drone. Democracy Now! Obama microchip 2013. ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News. Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos.