9/24/23, 9:28 AM StudySync - Read - First Read: A First in Space

First Read: A First in Space

Note

As you read

use context clues to analyze and determine the meanings of the vocabulary words and note unfamiliar
vocabulary;

ask questions about passages of the text that may be unclear or unresolved;

identify key details and ideas and the connections among them;

generate questions before, during, and after reading.

Read

The word “trailblazer” once referred to someone who explored an area and created a trail by leaving marks
on trees to guide those who followed. Today the word refers to a person who is not only the first to do
something, but possibly the first to develop a new way of thinking or a new area of research. As in the
original definition, the word also describes someone who has ignored limitations and boundaries and
opened a new path. Sally Ride was a trailblazer, an amazing one.

When Sally Ride was a little girl, she didn’t ask for typical toys. Instead, she wanted a chemistry set. She also
wanted a telescope so she could study the sky. She might have even wondered what it would be like to
travel in space and look down on Earth. Sally was fascinated by science, and her parents supported and
encouraged her choice. She also enjoyed sports, and she even competed nationally in junior tennis
tournaments. Combined, these interests and strengths would help her later in life as Sally pursued different
careers.

In 1977, Sally was working on her Ph.D. in physics at Stanford University when she happened to see an
advertisement in the school paper. NASA was looking for potential astronauts. Until that time, only men had
been accepted into the program, and they all had to have been military pilots. However, the rules had
changed; scientists and engineers were encouraged to apply and so were women. Sally sent in her
application immediately as did 8,000 other people. Eventually, only thirty-five individuals, including six
women, were chosen as candidates for the program.

Being an astronaut means being physically able to cope with unusual situations, so the training is very
challenging. Sally learned parachute jumping and water survival as well as how to deal with the
https://apps.studysync.com/#!/core-ela/12/1009/instructional-path 1/2
9/24/23, 9:28 AM StudySync - Read - First Read: A First in Space

weightlessness that occurs in a zero-gravity situation. She trained in navigation and radio communications
and became part of a team that built a robotic arm designed to launch and retrieve satellites. The arm was to
be used on the shuttle, a vehicle that circled and then returned to Earth.

In 1979, Sally was approved for assignment to a flight crew where she would be a mission specialist on
board the orbiter Challenger. Her responsibilities would involve performing challenging experiments using
the robotic arm. Meanwhile, she worked as communications officer for two other space flights, sending
messages and instructions from mission control to the flight crews.

Finally, in 1983, Sally soared into space. Her job was to control the robotic arm, and she had to perform in
space the same experiments she had practiced on Earth. Using the arm, she sent several satellites into
space and successfully accomplished retrieving other units from space. Her flight was historic in many ways:
She was the first American woman astronaut and the youngest individual to travel into space. She became a
role model in a job previously performed only by men, and she was on a grand adventure that shaped her
life.

Sally’s second flight took place in 1984, and then she began training for yet another voyage. Sadly, in 1986,
the Challenger exploded as it took off, and all upcoming assignments were canceled, including Sally’s. Sally
became part of the Presidential Commission formed to investigate the causes of the tragedy. Sally began a
new career.

In 1987, Sally began teaching at a university and devoted herself to helping students who wanted to study
science. She also started writing science books for children. She began and directed education projects
including the EarthKAM, which allowed middle school students to take pictures of Earth from a camera
located on the International Space Station. In 2001, she co-founded a company called Sally Ride Science to
encourage girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math. The company organizes science
festivals, creates publications, and develops science programs for students in elementary and middle
schools.

Of course, Sally Ride received many honors. She was made a member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame
and was also included in the Aviation Hall of Fame. She was given the Jefferson Award for Public Service.
She received two medals for both her space flights. In 2003, she became a member of the Astronaut Hall of
Fame where pioneering space travelers are remembered and honored for what they accomplished.

Annotations

https://apps.studysync.com/#!/core-ela/12/1009/instructional-path 2/2