III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 547 

Honoring the life of pioneering astronaut Dr. Sally Ride and expressing 

the condolences of the Senate on her death. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2012 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. 

ROCKEFELLER, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. COONS, 

and Mr. BOOZMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of pioneering astronaut Dr. Sally Ride 

and expressing the condolences of the Senate on her death. 

Whereas Dr. Sally Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Los 

Angeles, California; 

Whereas Dr. Ride graduated high school from Westlake 

School for Girls in Los Angeles in 1968, and received 

from Stanford University a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1973, a Master 

of Science in 1975, and a doctorate degree in physics in 

1978; 

Whereas the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

(referred to in this preamble as ‘‘NASA’’) selected Dr. 

Ride as an astronaut candidate in January of 1978; 


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•SRES 547 ATS 

Whereas Dr. Ride worked on the ground as a communications officer for the second and third NASA space shuttle 

missions (STS-2 and STS-3) and helped develop the 

robot arm used by shuttle crews; 

Whereas, on June 18, 1983, Dr. Ride became the first 

woman from the United States to travel in space when 

she served as a mission specialist for space shuttle mission STS-7; 

Whereas Dr. Ride also served as a mission specialist on space 

shuttle mission STS 41-G, which launched into space 

from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on October 

5, 1984; 

Whereas, in June of 1985, Dr. Ride was assigned to the crew 

of STS 61-M for which mission training terminated in 

January of 1986, following the space shuttle Challenger 

accident; 

Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of the Presidential 

Commission investigating the space shuttle Challenger accident and, upon completing that investigation, was assigned to NASA Headquarters as a Special Assistant to 

the Administrator for long-range and strategic planning; 

Whereas, in 1989, Dr. Ride joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, as a Professor of Physics 

and Director of the California Space Institute, a research 

unit at the University of California; 

Whereas, following her passion of motivating girls and young 

women to pursue careers in science, math, and technology, Dr. Ride founded her own company, known as 

Sally Ride Science, in 2001, to create entertaining 

science programs and publications for upper elementary 


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•SRES 547 ATS 

and middle school students, as well as their parents and 

teachers; 

Whereas, as a long-time advocate for improved science education, Dr. Ride initiated and directed education projects 

designed to fuel the fascination of middle school students 

with science and wrote 5 science books for children, entitled: To Space and Back, The Mystery of Mars, Voyager: 

An Adventure to the Edge of the Solar System, Exploring 

Our Solar System, and The Third Planet: Exploring the 

Earth from Space; 

Whereas Dr. Ride served as a member of the President’s 

Counsel of Advisors on Science and Technology, the 

Space Studies Board, and the Pacific Council on International Policy; 

Whereas Dr. Ride was a fellow of the American Physical Society and also served on the boards of the Office of Technology Assessment, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the National Collegiate Athletic Association 

Foundation, the Aerospace Corporation, and the California Institute of Technology; 

Whereas Dr. Ride was the only person to have served on 

commissions investigating both the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia accidents; and 

Whereas Dr. Ride has received numerous honors and awards, 

including induction into the National Women’s Hall of 

Fame and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Jefferson 

Award for Public Service, the Wernher von Braun Memorial Award of the National Space Society, the Lindbergh 

Eagle Award, the Theodore Roosevelt Award of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and 2 NASA Space 

Flight Medals: Now, therefore, be it 


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•SRES 547 ATS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses its deepest condolences to the 

3 family and friends of Dr. Sally Ride on her death; 

4 (2) mourns the loss of Dr. Ride, a trailblazing 

5 pioneer who inspired millions of individuals, espe6 cially women and girls, to reach for the stars; and 

7 (3) appreciates all of the contributions of Dr. 

8 Ride to science, physics, education, and human 

9 spaceflight. 

Æ 


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