We have been remiss in failing to note the untimely passing of a great American, former astronaut Sally Ride, who passed away Monday at the age of 61 from pancreatic cancer. A multi-talented scientist and athlete, Ride became the first American woman in space when she flew aboard the Challenger space shuttle on June 18, 1983. She completed a second space mission, also aboard the Challenger, in October 1984. After her retirement from NASA, she was a physics professor at the University of California - San Diego.
May she rest in peace.
