24 thoughts on “Sally Ride”

  2. I remember hearing she had cancer, but I assumed that she’d be one of the growing number of survivors. I hope she’s in peace now.

  7. One of the saddest facts about pancreatic cancer is that it’s almost always discovered too late to do anything about it. My wife knew a woman who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and dead less than two weeks later. That’s why that story from a couple weeks ago about the 15 year old kid who won the Intel science competition is such big news. He lost an uncle to pancreatic cancer and came up with a reliable and inexpensive means of early detection. They’ll likely be erecting statues of him in the not too distant future.

  8. An observation: Why does it seem so many high-profile people who live in California tend to die of Pancreatic Cancer and yes, the first thing I checked, Sally WAS living in CA.

    This is something I have been wondering about for some time. This may just be selection bias on my part but somethign keeps nagging about this that says there si somethign mroe going on. And yes, I made this observation prior to Steve Jobs too.

    1. Factual discrepancy: Schlussel claims Ride was openly lesbian, but what I’ve read elsewhere suggests she wasn’t.

      1. Yeah, I can’t say that it was wildly reported. Further, Resnik was selected in the same astronaut class and wasn’t a lesbian. Its possible and likely both were selected over more qualified male applicants in order to get women into the program.

        What counts for qualification has always been a bit amusing to me. The Right Stuff varies by the task. What was needed of the Mercury astronauts was only needed by two of the seven crew members of a typical Shuttle mission. Considering the maintenance requirements for ISS, we’d do better training mechanics as astronauts than teaching PhD scientist how to do routine maintenance.

    2. If the job is to “wave at the cameras”, then most politically-correct individual would be the most “qualified.”

        1. Welfare for the educated?

          Honestly, you can invent any mission you want — beyond the Democratic event horizon, all paths lead down.

  10. Sally Ride flew on STS-7. Col. Guion Bluford, who was allegedly “passed over” for Sally Ride, flew on STS-8, two months later. They were picked at roughly the same time, trained at the same time, and flew at nearly the same time.

    Sally Ride was a physicist. Bluford was a pilot, but he didn’t fly as a pilot. It’s hard to say which was more qualified to fly as a mission specialist.

    What counts for qualification has always been a bit amusing to me.

    At one time, NASA wanted the ISS commander to be a pilot, which seemed pointless since there’s no flying involved. That requirement changed, however, and the first ISS commander was a Navy SEAL, which also seemed like an odd skill set.

  11. “I hadn’t even known she was sick.”

    Only a few close friends, family and some local confidants were aware. Clearly you’re far, far, far outside that circle.

    “Among other things, I thought she did yeoman’s work on the Augustine panel.”

    “Yeoman?’ That’s rather demeaning. Seems you don’t even know what the term means. Such a dweeb. ‘Exemplary’ is much more aprpros.

    Ad Astra, Dr. Ride. Ad Astra…

    1. Only a few close friends, family and some local confidants were aware. Clearly you’re far, far, far outside that circle.

      I have never claimed otherwise, Mr. (or Ms.?) Troll.

      “Yeoman?’ That’s rather demeaning. Seems you don’t even know what the term means. Such a dweeb.

      “Yeoman“: “One that performs great and loyal service .”

      You are a moron.

      1. =yawn= Except, of course, you expressed with dramatic surprise that YOU- yes, you, were not aware of her illiness.

        exemplary: deserving imitation : commendable

        yeoman- a person attending or assisting another: a naval petty officer who performs clerical duties.

        Dr. Ride was not a clerk, fella. Yes, you’re jealous, indeed. Show some class, Rand, cease befouling a thread honoring a fine and accomplished individual. And dress for success sometime. She did. Always.

  12. DCSCA
    July 24, 2012, 9:43 am | # | Reply

    “Yeoman?’ That’s rather demeaning. Seems you don’t even know what the term means. Such a dweeb. ‘Exemplary’ is much more aprpros.

    Ummm…I don’t think you know what that phrase means. It might help for you to look it up.

    1. =yawn= Ummmm….

      exemplary : deserving imitation : commendable..
      Certainly not as mundane as yeoman. But then, consider the source. Someday, he’ll dress for success. She did.

      1. Please enlighten me: are you being intentionally obtuse, or do you occasionally forget to breath?

  13. “yeoman- a person attending or assisting another”

    Wasn’t she performing this study at the leisure of the Augustine committee? That means she was attending to their needs and assisting them with attaining this knowledge about affordable transportation to the ISS. And she apparently spent a full week straight grinding through the numbers; 24×7. So, I think that earns her the accolades for great and loyal service to the needs and wishes of the Augustine panel. Somehow you’ve argued this to the extreme end that just her service to this panel translates into her entire career being merely, yeoman’s work…. An astounding slippery slope you’ve eloped good sir. I applaud you — *golf clap*.

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