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[♪ suspenseful music playing]
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[cheering and applause]
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[announcer] Mission Specialist
Dr. Sally Ride now completing
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her preparations for
ingress into the Orbiter.
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The countdown at T-minus
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one hour, 40 minutes,
25 seconds, and counting.
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[heartbeat]
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All five of our flight
crew are onboard now.
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Dr. Sally Ride will
be known as MS2.
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[Sally Ride] Okay, team,
this is MS2.
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Are you ready?
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[controller] MS2, I
read you loud and clear.
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- Some U.S. space history is
to be made for the first time,
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an American woman.
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- America's first woman.
- The first American woman.
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- The first American woman.
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- America's first female
astronaut will be
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launched into space.
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Her name is Sally Ride.
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- Sally Ride.
- Sally Ride.
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- Sally Ride.
- Astronaut Sally Ride.
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- Sally, you're a star.
- We're all behind you.
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- Ride on, Sally.
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- Dr. Ride, have you felt
that the press coverage has
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been heavy-handed?
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[Sally Ride] Press coverage?
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I think that it's too bad that
our society isn't further along
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and that this is
such a big deal.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Sally
was the most famous person
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on Earth for a while,
and for good reason.
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[controller] T-minus two
minutes and counting.
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[Sally Ride] I've come
to realize that I will be
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a role model.
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[controller] The hydrogen
igniters have been armed.
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- Women get a chance
to prove themselves,
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hope she doesn't mess
it up for us all.
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[Sally Ride] I feel pretty
strongly that it's important
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that I don't do anything dumb.
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[controller] 25.
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[announcer] T-minus 25
seconds and counting.
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The sequencer onboard now
controlling the final seconds.
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- I think it's time that
people realize that women
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in this country can do any
job that they wanna do.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Sally risked everything
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to make history.
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But telling the world about us,
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that was a risk
she couldn't take.
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[announcer] T-minus ten,
nine, eight, seven, six.
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We have the
main engine start,
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we have main engine start.
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And lift off!
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Lift off on STS-7 and America's
first woman astronaut.
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[♪ theme music playing]
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[♪ theme music playing]
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[♪ Sesame Street theme playing]
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- Hey, do you all know
who this person is here?
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- Yes.
- You do?
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What's her name?
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- Sally Ride.
- Yeah, right.
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- Right. What's she do?
- She's an astronaut.
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- An astronaut?
- That's right.
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- How do you eat?
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Doesn't it float
it up in the air?
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- You wouldn't wanna have
peas or anything like that,
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because if you opened up
a can of peas, they'd all.
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- But how, how many here
would like to go up in space
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with Sally on the next ride?
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Okay. We got a deal.
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It's okay if we all go, right?
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- Sure, no problem.
- Okay.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Sally liked
how people thought about her.
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She was the golden girl
and such a good role model.
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- You look like you're
having some trouble.
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Is there something
I can do to help?
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- Huh.
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Well, this rocket
here won't blast off.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy] She
didn't want that to change.
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We didn't plan to hide anything.
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- I used to want to be an
astronaut when I grew up.
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- Did you really?
- Yes I did.
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- There’s still time.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy] It hurt me,
but I'm not sure it hurt Sally.
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She didn't care
about such things.
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[crew] This is Tam
interview, take one.
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- Action.
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[producer] Action.
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Um, could you start by
introducing yourself,
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tell me who you are, and
maybe who you were to Sally?
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- Sure.
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My name is Tam O'Shaughnessy,
and, uh,
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and I was her life
partner for 27 years.
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The first time I met Sally,
she was 13, I was 12.
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And we were standing in line
with a bunch of other girls for
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a tennis tournament.
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It was boiling hot there.
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I mean, I just have a picture
of completely blue skies.
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I was behind Sally in line.
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I noticed her because she
was standing on her toes.
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And then when the
line moved forward,
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she was walking on her toes
and I'd never seen somebody
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do that before.
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You know, I was just staring
at her, kind of cracking up.
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And Sally just happened to
turn her head and notice me.
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I said something like,
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"You're walking on your
toes like a ballet dancer."
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That kind of started
our friendship.
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Sally was kind of quiet, but
she would talk eight minutes
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straight on different
players and how to beat them,
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how to whoop them.
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- Her style of play was
crafty, uh, drop shots,
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and ball placement.
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I got to play doubles
with her and she wanted
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to be on the side
where the pressure was.
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Some people are like
that in the world.
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If the game is on the line,
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they wanna be the
one that takes the shot.
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And Sally was like that.
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[Sally Ride] I grew up during
the heyday of the space program.
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It was on the front page of the
newspaper every day and I still
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remember our elementary school
teachers wheeling those big old
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black and white TV sets into
the classroom so that we could
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watch the very early launches.
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I think all the kids
dreamed of being astronauts
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at one point or another.
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[Armstrong] That's one
small step for man.
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[anchor] Boy.
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[Armstrong] Hey, I'm gonna
be busy for a minute.
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[Sally Ride] I loved science,
but like many girls going
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through middle school,
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I started losing
my self-esteem,
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I started losing
my confidence.
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I started to internalize
the subtle messages
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that people often convey.
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Because the space
program was all male,
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it frankly didn't
occur to me that I could
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be an astronaut.
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- In 1976, NASA decided
that they were going to
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expand the Astronaut Corps
and they were going to
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include women and
minorities for the first time.
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[Sally Ride] I saw an ad in
the Stanford student newspaper
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{\an8}by NASA saying that
they were accepting
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{\an8}applications for astronauts.
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The moment I saw that,
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I knew that's
what I wanted to do.
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That very day I quipped off a
little handwritten application.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy] "Now that
the space program has evolved
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to the point where women
are being considered,
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I feel that I'm being offered
an incredible opportunity.
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Further, I think
that my background,
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the scientific training in
general and astrophysics,
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qualifies me to contribute as
much to the program as I expect
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to get out of it."
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So if she made a mistake,
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she would just cross
through it and keep going.
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Sounds like her personality.
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[reporter] When NASA announced
it was recruiting between
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30 and 40 new astronauts,
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more than 8,000 hopeful
candidates responded,
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including over 1,500 women.
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{\an8}[Sally Ride] I knew that I
had a reasonable chance to
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{\an8}go a reasonable distance in
the selection process.
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I was gonna have a Ph.D.
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by the time the selection
process was over.
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And, you know, I had a
good athletic background.
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[reporter] Sally Ride's vital
statistics include a string of
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academic credentials that
at first glance seemed
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to belong to three people.
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At Stanford University,
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she simultaneously earned
degrees in English and Physics,
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then a Master's and
Ph.D. in Astrophysics.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Sally was kinda a little bit
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cocky about physics.
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She loved that it was
very challenging to learn.
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Therefore, if you learned it,
you were kinda hot stuff.
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One night when
we were in our 20s,
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I invited Sally for dinner.
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And we hadn't seen
each other in a few years.
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I just decided that I wanted
to do something special.
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I didn't make very much money,
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but I bought steaks,
some wine,
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and we had lower light.
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It was exciting and fun
getting to know each other
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again as adults.
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She knew I was gay,
I told her.
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And I told her that I
was dating this woman.
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But I didn't know she
had her own experience.
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I had no clue.
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- Sally was my
first best friend as well as my
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first relationship with a woman.
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I never talked about my
college years, you know,
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because my college years
were so wrapped up in Sally.
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What I had with
Sally was wonderful.
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And for four years, we
were together all the time.
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But neither of us were
talking to anybody outside of
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our own little household
about what was going on.
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We certainly weren't holding
hands outside the apartment.
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I think that was what finally
ended it for me is that,
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that I couldn't live in
that tiny little world.
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[Tam O’Shaughnessy] I remember
seeing Molly and Sally together,
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but I didn't know.
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I didn't know that
until years later.
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And when we had the
romantic steak dinner that I
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didn't realize was romantic,
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we just talked and connected
and it was a lovely evening.
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She did tell me 10 years
later that her feelings for me
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started to change that night.
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But I didn't, you know,
I had no clue.
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Shortly thereafter, she got
the phone call from NASA.
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[phone ringing]
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{\an8}[Sally Ride] I got a phone
call very early in the morning
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{\an8}California time.
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I thought maybe I was dreaming.
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00:12:01,930 --> 00:12:04,474
I had been accepted for
the astronaut office.
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Of course, I was thrilled.
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[reporter] In early 1978,
astrophysicist, Dr. Sally Ride,
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notified her family of an
important event in her career.
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She'd been selected by NASA
to be an astronaut candidate.
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- I was very excited.
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The first thing I did was I
hung up the phone from talking
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to George Abbey and I
picked it up again and called
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my mother and then called
my sister, called my father.
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They're almost as
excited as I am.
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My mother's reaction
was that my,
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00:12:49,102 --> 00:12:51,603
I have another sister
who's in theology.
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She's at a theological seminary.
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And my mother said,
"Well, you know,
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one of the two of them is
going to get to heaven."
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- Up to now, the men
on the moon have been
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just that, men, not women.
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In fact, up to now, all
astronauts have been men,
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and White, not Black.
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00:13:07,328 --> 00:13:10,122
- The United States Space Agency
has appointed 35 new astronauts,
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00:13:10,123 --> 00:13:12,792
including six women,
three Blacks, and one Oriental.
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♪ It was all science fiction
till they landed on the moon. ♪
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♪ Now all my space comic books
are in the history room. ♪
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{\an8}[Sally Ride] When I got to NASA,
it was the coolest thing.
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00:13:29,392 --> 00:13:32,644
{\an8}And from that point on, I
really dreamed of getting a
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00:13:32,645 --> 00:13:34,563
chance to go into space myself.
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00:13:34,564 --> 00:13:40,028
♪ Can you hear us singing
from the galaxy next door? ♪
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[Sally Ride] We walked in as
rookies in the Astronaut Corps.
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None of us knew anything about
what was about to happen to us.
244
00:13:51,039 --> 00:13:53,082
That was really the
turning point in my life.
245
00:13:59,589 --> 00:14:01,007
{\an8}[overlapping chatter]
246
00:14:01,340 --> 00:14:04,427
{\an8}- I'd like to welcome all of
our new friends to Houston,
247
00:14:04,635 --> 00:14:06,304
and the Johnson Space Center.
248
00:14:06,429 --> 00:14:11,349
We found over 8,000 people
who were interested in being
249
00:14:11,350 --> 00:14:13,352
astronauts and who applied.
250
00:14:14,103 --> 00:14:18,065
- The very first trip down
to Houston was all 35 of us,
251
00:14:18,066 --> 00:14:19,149
just to introduce us,
252
00:14:19,150 --> 00:14:20,943
in a big,
formal press splash.
253
00:14:23,988 --> 00:14:25,781
There were 10 people
the likes of whom had never
254
00:14:25,782 --> 00:14:27,867
been in NASA's
Astronaut Corps before.
255
00:14:30,244 --> 00:14:31,788
- Sally Ride.
256
00:14:32,163 --> 00:14:33,955
She's presently a
research assistant in the
257
00:14:33,956 --> 00:14:36,374
Physics Department
at Stanford University,
258
00:14:36,375 --> 00:14:37,876
Stanford, California.
259
00:14:37,877 --> 00:14:39,836
[Kathy Sullivan] There was
a huge spotlight turned on
260
00:14:39,837 --> 00:14:41,464
the 10 of us that
were different.
261
00:14:45,968 --> 00:14:49,889
And so we were in just a press
gauntlet for hours and hours.
262
00:14:50,056 --> 00:14:51,265
[crew] Kathy Sullivan.
263
00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:54,560
[Kathy Sullivan] It kind of
attuned us to what was coming.
264
00:14:55,144 --> 00:14:56,729
You're now a public figure.
265
00:14:57,980 --> 00:15:00,566
They're not gonna just wanna
know about your hopes for the
266
00:15:00,983 --> 00:15:02,735
space program or
what you wanna do.
267
00:15:03,277 --> 00:15:05,947
They'd wanna get at the
stereotypical angles,
268
00:15:06,072 --> 00:15:08,240
the romantic angles,
the hair and makeup angles,
269
00:15:08,241 --> 00:15:09,325
the fashion angles,
270
00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:11,910
the angles they're
used to applying to women
271
00:15:11,911 --> 00:15:13,453
{\an8}that they're covering.
272
00:15:13,454 --> 00:15:15,413
{\an8}[reporter] What happens when
you meet a man who's not in the
273
00:15:15,414 --> 00:15:18,042
{\an8}space program and doesn't
know who you are and you say,
274
00:15:18,209 --> 00:15:19,377
"I'm an astronaut"?
275
00:15:19,502 --> 00:15:21,586
Does he say, "Hey, you're
too cute to be an astronaut?
276
00:15:21,587 --> 00:15:22,796
Come on, little lady.
277
00:15:22,797 --> 00:15:24,340
You can't be an astronaut"?
278
00:15:24,549 --> 00:15:26,217
- I just tell him
I'm an engineer.
279
00:15:28,219 --> 00:15:29,929
[reporter] When do you
expect to go up in the shuttle?
280
00:15:30,263 --> 00:15:32,764
[Judy Resnik] Oh, it's
gonna be a few years for us
281
00:15:32,765 --> 00:15:35,309
who are relatively new,
but it's worth the wait.
282
00:15:36,435 --> 00:15:38,687
[reporter] The Space Shuttle
Columbia is scheduled
283
00:15:38,688 --> 00:15:40,605
to take off from
Cape Canaveral, Florida
284
00:15:40,606 --> 00:15:42,316
on its initial test flight.
285
00:15:42,733 --> 00:15:44,110
{\an8}[Sally Ride] I can't
wait to get up.
286
00:15:44,485 --> 00:15:47,488
{\an8}I think that we're all eager
to each get up ourselves.
287
00:15:52,535 --> 00:15:55,997
{\an8}- Everybody wanted to be
first male and female.
288
00:15:56,581 --> 00:15:59,417
And that's just the
nature of who we were.
289
00:16:01,085 --> 00:16:02,460
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
The astronauts knew that
290
00:16:02,461 --> 00:16:04,130
certain people were important.
291
00:16:04,255 --> 00:16:08,009
But the actual process,
what criteria they used,
292
00:16:08,176 --> 00:16:10,761
it was an absolute
black box mystery.
293
00:16:11,220 --> 00:16:14,307
They didn't know, you know,
should I be more friendly?
294
00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,474
Should I work an
extra two hours?
295
00:16:16,475 --> 00:16:18,394
They didn't know
what the formula was.
296
00:16:20,396 --> 00:16:23,232
- There was no question that
Sally wanted to be the first.
297
00:16:23,900 --> 00:16:27,360
She never would have
admitted that in an interview.
298
00:16:27,361 --> 00:16:29,821
Every interview you
read with her, she'll say,
299
00:16:29,822 --> 00:16:31,782
"Oh, well, I just wanna fly."
300
00:16:32,909 --> 00:16:34,993
- I didn't come
into this program to be the
301
00:16:34,994 --> 00:16:36,161
first woman in space.
302
00:16:36,162 --> 00:16:39,289
I don't have any great
desire to be the first woman.
303
00:16:39,290 --> 00:16:41,041
That doesn't mean
all that much to me,
304
00:16:41,042 --> 00:16:43,461
but getting up as
soon as I can does.
305
00:16:45,922 --> 00:16:47,757
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Some of
the training is really hard.
306
00:16:50,384 --> 00:16:53,804
Parachute jumping,
the Vomit Comet,
307
00:16:55,348 --> 00:16:57,599
the airplane that
dips and dives.
308
00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,727
It gives them 20 seconds
of weightlessness.
309
00:17:00,561 --> 00:17:01,728
- It was a Vomit Comet.
310
00:17:01,729 --> 00:17:03,940
Yeah, it, it was well-named.
311
00:17:05,024 --> 00:17:07,067
[reporter] The women astronauts
had been subjected to the same
312
00:17:07,068 --> 00:17:09,195
exercises as their
male counterparts.
313
00:17:10,071 --> 00:17:13,241
They've been hoisted,
dunked, and pulled,
314
00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:17,494
taught survival techniques,
learning to use some of the
315
00:17:17,495 --> 00:17:19,246
tools they'll be
taking with them on the
316
00:17:19,247 --> 00:17:21,082
real shuttle flights.
317
00:17:22,208 --> 00:17:25,252
- All the while, there
were all these media folks
318
00:17:25,253 --> 00:17:27,087
all around you.
319
00:17:27,088 --> 00:17:28,505
[Kathy Sullivan] They're
watching very closely how
320
00:17:28,506 --> 00:17:29,506
you're doing.
321
00:17:29,507 --> 00:17:31,299
"Can these people
really hack it,
322
00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:32,968
in the unknowns and
the uncertainties,
323
00:17:32,969 --> 00:17:34,679
the potential hazards?"
324
00:17:36,097 --> 00:17:37,472
[reporter] Do you think
that you are as good as
325
00:17:37,473 --> 00:17:39,683
any male astronaut here?
326
00:17:39,684 --> 00:17:41,185
- Yeah.
327
00:17:43,271 --> 00:17:44,981
[reporter] And better
than some of them?
328
00:17:45,439 --> 00:17:47,942
- I'm, I'm not
stupid enough to say that.
329
00:17:49,569 --> 00:17:53,071
- It got narrowed down in
almost everyone's minds between
330
00:17:53,072 --> 00:17:54,574
Sally or Judy Resnik.
331
00:17:56,409 --> 00:17:58,786
Judy was always considered
a strong contender.
332
00:18:00,329 --> 00:18:03,124
She's really smart,
really good engineer.
333
00:18:04,959 --> 00:18:07,461
- Sally and Judy were
like apples and oranges.
334
00:18:07,962 --> 00:18:10,464
They're two entirely different
types of personalities.
335
00:18:11,882 --> 00:18:14,718
Judy was a sweetheart
and she was extraordinarily
336
00:18:14,719 --> 00:18:17,680
bright and capable but she
loved having fun.
337
00:18:19,348 --> 00:18:21,474
Sally was much quieter.
338
00:18:21,475 --> 00:18:24,020
Her personality was
strictly business.
339
00:18:25,896 --> 00:18:29,400
- I never really saw her
display a lot of emotion.
340
00:18:29,817 --> 00:18:30,817
Is she mad?
341
00:18:30,818 --> 00:18:33,111
Is she happy?
Is she upset?
342
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:34,946
I don't know.
343
00:18:34,947 --> 00:18:37,450
That made her a little bit hard
for people to get close to.
344
00:18:39,201 --> 00:18:40,995
[Anna Fisher] She did
have a rough edge to her.
345
00:18:42,079 --> 00:18:44,247
I don't think she knew how
to be friends with someone
346
00:18:44,248 --> 00:18:46,042
she was competing with.
347
00:18:51,797 --> 00:18:53,882
{\an8}[Sally Ride] One of my
first assignments was on the
348
00:18:53,883 --> 00:18:55,968
{\an8}shuttle's robot arm.
349
00:18:56,594 --> 00:18:59,513
It was still in the testing
and development stage.
350
00:19:01,557 --> 00:19:03,642
[Anna Fisher] By virtue
of your assignments,
351
00:19:03,643 --> 00:19:06,102
that would put you in a
position where you would be
352
00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:08,856
eligible to be first.
353
00:19:10,608 --> 00:19:12,776
[Kathy Sullivan] The point of
the robot arm was to be able to
354
00:19:12,777 --> 00:19:15,488
pluck satellites out of the
shuttle and put it into space.
355
00:19:17,198 --> 00:19:19,617
Having that assignment
was a big deal.
356
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,536
[Anna Fisher] Sally was
a very good arm operator,
357
00:19:23,537 --> 00:19:25,539
as was Judy.
358
00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:27,540
[Judy Resnik] Yeah, it
drifted aft of the bay,
359
00:19:27,541 --> 00:19:28,583
aft of the center.
360
00:19:28,584 --> 00:19:30,836
I've got it at 45 and 30 now.
361
00:19:33,005 --> 00:19:36,425
{\an8}[Tam O'Shaughnessy] Because
of her hand-eye coordination
362
00:19:36,592 --> 00:19:38,176
{\an8}from being a tennis player,
363
00:19:38,177 --> 00:19:41,471
{\an8}Sally just took to it
and figured out how it could
364
00:19:41,472 --> 00:19:45,350
work in space, and
so people noticed that she had
365
00:19:45,351 --> 00:19:47,269
mastered the robotic arm.
366
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,065
- Those kind of factors
might put you in a fast track
367
00:19:52,066 --> 00:19:53,943
to an early flight.
368
00:19:55,277 --> 00:19:57,612
Sally had a very
different competitive mindset
369
00:19:57,613 --> 00:19:59,198
than the rest of us.
370
00:20:00,658 --> 00:20:02,450
One day, we're training
and I'm practicing on the
371
00:20:02,451 --> 00:20:03,869
big robotic arm.
372
00:20:04,745 --> 00:20:08,581
I'm up at that panel to start
working with it and I notice
373
00:20:08,582 --> 00:20:10,875
Sally pass behind me
and go down the ladder
374
00:20:10,876 --> 00:20:12,419
to the deck below.
375
00:20:12,420 --> 00:20:16,507
And, suddenly, the arm
stops moving... abruptly.
376
00:20:18,092 --> 00:20:20,468
And so I go into
troubleshooting mode and
377
00:20:20,469 --> 00:20:23,513
eventually work my way back to
the circuit breakers which are
378
00:20:23,514 --> 00:20:26,683
on a panel that you go by
that panel as you go down that
379
00:20:26,684 --> 00:20:29,103
ladder and they've
all been pulled out.
380
00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:32,313
So it became clear
to me that Sally,
381
00:20:32,314 --> 00:20:33,481
on her way down the ladder,
382
00:20:33,482 --> 00:20:35,108
had just quietly
popped, popped, popped
383
00:20:35,109 --> 00:20:37,153
the circuit breakers out.
384
00:20:38,028 --> 00:20:40,488
Was Sally just helpfully
playing instructor and seeing
385
00:20:40,489 --> 00:20:41,906
if I could figure it out?
386
00:20:41,907 --> 00:20:43,533
Was she sending
some kind of signal,
387
00:20:43,534 --> 00:20:45,452
like "That's my manipulator arm.
388
00:20:45,453 --> 00:20:47,078
What are you doing with it?"
389
00:20:47,079 --> 00:20:49,248
Or just messing with my head?
390
00:20:50,958 --> 00:20:52,834
If any of the six
of us was consciously
391
00:20:52,835 --> 00:20:54,919
aiming at "I want that prize,"
392
00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:56,672
I would bet it
probably was Sally.
393
00:21:00,301 --> 00:21:02,427
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] I couldn't
understand the excitement of
394
00:21:02,428 --> 00:21:04,262
working for NASA, quite frankly.
395
00:21:04,263 --> 00:21:06,639
I thought it would be
like the most boring,
396
00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,059
constrained place on
the Earth to work,
397
00:21:10,227 --> 00:21:13,271
and just not open-minded
to people of color.
398
00:21:13,272 --> 00:21:15,983
You know, if you're queer,
you know, get out of here.
399
00:21:18,819 --> 00:21:20,654
I took a much different path.
400
00:21:22,323 --> 00:21:23,656
Instead of going to college,
401
00:21:23,657 --> 00:21:26,911
I joined the first-ever women's
professional tennis tour,
402
00:21:27,703 --> 00:21:29,329
the Virginia Slim Circuit.
403
00:21:29,330 --> 00:21:31,957
I did play the US Open
and Wimbledon.
404
00:21:32,917 --> 00:21:35,169
And I met a lot of
wonderful people,
405
00:21:35,878 --> 00:21:38,547
including a female tennis
player from Sweden.
406
00:21:41,926 --> 00:21:43,885
We had become friends and
then I realized the way I was
407
00:21:43,886 --> 00:21:47,848
thinking about her was
sort of, uh, different.
408
00:21:48,474 --> 00:21:49,724
It was kind of gay.
409
00:21:49,725 --> 00:21:52,519
And it, it shocked me.
410
00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:54,814
And I was afraid.
411
00:21:55,356 --> 00:21:59,944
Growing up, I got the message
about homosexuals or lesbians,
412
00:22:00,611 --> 00:22:02,445
you know, are very scary people.
413
00:22:02,446 --> 00:22:04,197
- Most Americans are
repelled by the mere
414
00:22:04,198 --> 00:22:05,990
notion of homosexuality.
415
00:22:05,991 --> 00:22:09,077
The CBS News survey shows
that two out of three Americans
416
00:22:09,078 --> 00:22:12,873
look upon homosexuals with
disgust, discomfort, or fear.
417
00:22:13,582 --> 00:22:14,749
- I think it's revolting.
418
00:22:14,750 --> 00:22:16,584
And it says in
the Old Testament,
419
00:22:16,585 --> 00:22:19,004
it's an abomination against God.
420
00:22:19,672 --> 00:22:21,714
- It's not American, you know?
421
00:22:21,715 --> 00:22:23,884
- I think they should
be shot if you ask me.
422
00:22:25,302 --> 00:22:27,345
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] At first,
all the fear and shame that we
423
00:22:27,346 --> 00:22:29,181
grew up with rose up in me.
424
00:22:30,099 --> 00:22:31,057
You have to be careful.
425
00:22:31,058 --> 00:22:32,684
You have to cover who you are.
426
00:22:32,685 --> 00:22:35,061
You have to hide how you feel.
427
00:22:35,062 --> 00:22:37,147
And all of that stuff started.
428
00:22:38,148 --> 00:22:41,901
But I came from this tennis
environment where they just did
429
00:22:41,902 --> 00:22:44,864
not care who you were dating
or who you were sleeping with.
430
00:22:46,991 --> 00:22:49,742
I connected with a growing
community of women who were
431
00:22:49,743 --> 00:22:51,996
willing to be more open
about their sexuality.
432
00:22:54,456 --> 00:22:56,667
There was a whole movement
happening across the country.
433
00:22:57,543 --> 00:23:01,088
- If they thought that we
were everywhere in the 1970s,
434
00:23:01,839 --> 00:23:03,841
wait till they see the 1980s.
435
00:23:07,803 --> 00:23:10,054
[Tam O'Shaughnessy] Seeing
other members of the queer
436
00:23:10,055 --> 00:23:12,975
community out marching and
being themselves was inspiring.
437
00:23:15,686 --> 00:23:17,980
I decided I was gonna tell
my sisters and my mom.
438
00:23:19,523 --> 00:23:23,067
I saw that it was possible to
be honest about who I was and
439
00:23:23,068 --> 00:23:24,737
it felt really good.
440
00:23:26,155 --> 00:23:29,532
I feel lucky to have
experienced that when I was,
441
00:23:29,533 --> 00:23:32,745
you know, 19, 20, 21, you know?
442
00:23:33,287 --> 00:23:34,370
Sally had a completely,
443
00:23:34,371 --> 00:23:36,373
much more
constrained environment.
444
00:23:40,044 --> 00:23:42,421
When Sally and I started
dating, she brought this to me.
445
00:23:44,006 --> 00:23:47,342
And it, I have to say, it
surprised me because it's,
446
00:23:47,343 --> 00:23:49,303
it's two women.
447
00:23:50,429 --> 00:23:53,223
It's beautiful, but it just
surprised me a little bit
448
00:23:54,350 --> 00:24:00,188
'cause I knew she was private
and she wasn't out and,
449
00:24:00,189 --> 00:24:02,316
and proud and all
that sort of stuff.
450
00:24:05,444 --> 00:24:07,820
Sally just did not
talk about how she felt
451
00:24:07,821 --> 00:24:09,990
about personal things.
452
00:24:11,825 --> 00:24:13,660
Even as a youngster,
453
00:24:13,661 --> 00:24:15,371
she was very private,
even then.
454
00:24:16,747 --> 00:24:19,749
Her whole family, they
did not have that intimate,
455
00:24:19,750 --> 00:24:22,836
inside-the-guts kind
of relationship.
456
00:24:23,837 --> 00:24:25,756
[producer] What was
Sally like as a kid?
457
00:24:26,423 --> 00:24:30,177
[Joyce Ride] I think
she was kind of closed mouthed
458
00:24:30,928 --> 00:24:33,514
about how she felt.
459
00:24:34,139 --> 00:24:35,724
[producer] What do
you attribute that to?
460
00:24:36,850 --> 00:24:39,311
[Joyce Ride] It's
none of your business.
461
00:24:41,605 --> 00:24:43,482
My name is Joyce Ride.
462
00:24:44,108 --> 00:24:46,402
[producer] And what's your
relationship to Sally?
463
00:24:47,069 --> 00:24:48,278
[Joyce Ride] Sally?
464
00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:52,866
She was my number one child.
465
00:24:54,660 --> 00:24:56,494
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Sally's parents were
466
00:24:56,495 --> 00:24:57,870
progressive thinkers,
467
00:24:57,871 --> 00:25:02,375
very open-minded, and
both of them just believed that
468
00:25:02,376 --> 00:25:04,461
their daughters could do
anything they wanted to do.
469
00:25:10,134 --> 00:25:12,594
Sally's childhood
was, in a way, ideal,
470
00:25:13,512 --> 00:25:16,180
but on the other hand, her
parents didn't show much
471
00:25:16,181 --> 00:25:19,476
affection to each other
or to Bear and Sally.
472
00:25:21,562 --> 00:25:26,149
- Being Norwegian, we
were not a family that
473
00:25:26,150 --> 00:25:27,651
shared feelings a lot.
474
00:25:28,819 --> 00:25:31,655
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Sally
absorbed the message that too
475
00:25:32,114 --> 00:25:36,451
much exuberance, too much
emotion is not what we do
476
00:25:36,452 --> 00:25:38,120
around here, you know?
477
00:25:41,498 --> 00:25:44,501
[producer] Why do you not
like talking about feelings?
478
00:25:47,755 --> 00:25:50,716
[Joyce Ride] If I knew
how I felt about feelings
479
00:25:54,970 --> 00:25:57,848
I would probably not tell you.
480
00:25:59,433 --> 00:26:01,100
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] She didn't
learn how to express her
481
00:26:01,101 --> 00:26:03,520
emotions because they were
not expressed at home.
482
00:26:05,230 --> 00:26:08,901
Sally and I would, for example,
like drive up to visit her mom,
483
00:26:09,234 --> 00:26:10,234
knock on the door.
484
00:26:10,235 --> 00:26:13,072
Joyce would answer and,
"Hello, oldest daughter,"
485
00:26:14,740 --> 00:26:15,865
you know, and,
"Hello, Tam."
486
00:26:15,866 --> 00:26:18,826
And then kinda go back
to what she was doing.
487
00:26:18,827 --> 00:26:21,704
So there was no like,
"Come on in."
488
00:26:21,705 --> 00:26:22,997
Hug.
489
00:26:22,998 --> 00:26:24,499
You know, hug Sally.
490
00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:26,084
"Oh, I haven't seen
you, love you."
491
00:26:26,085 --> 00:26:27,126
None of that.
492
00:26:27,127 --> 00:26:28,294
Absolutely none.
493
00:26:28,295 --> 00:26:30,129
She, she went back to the
dining room table to do
494
00:26:30,130 --> 00:26:32,091
whatever she was doing.
495
00:26:32,758 --> 00:26:33,925
[producer] And did you
know that they were together
496
00:26:33,926 --> 00:26:35,009
at the time?
497
00:26:35,010 --> 00:26:37,178
That they were dating?
498
00:26:37,179 --> 00:26:38,597
[Joyce Ride] Well, yes.
499
00:26:39,098 --> 00:26:42,518
But it wasn't something
we talked about.
500
00:26:44,770 --> 00:26:46,020
[reporter] Do you see yourself,
at this point, as a
501
00:26:46,021 --> 00:26:47,898
"right stuff" kind of astronaut?
502
00:26:48,857 --> 00:26:50,192
- You wanna define that?
503
00:26:51,318 --> 00:26:52,777
[reporter] Well, I think what
Tom Wolfe does is something
504
00:26:52,778 --> 00:26:56,990
like death-defying,
fighter jock, et cetera.
505
00:26:57,324 --> 00:26:58,826
- No, I don't think so.
506
00:27:00,244 --> 00:27:03,704
Out of roughly 4,000
technical employees at
507
00:27:03,705 --> 00:27:05,874
the Johnson Space Center,
there were only four women.
508
00:27:06,959 --> 00:27:09,878
So that gives you a sense
of how male the culture was.
509
00:27:13,465 --> 00:27:15,550
[Kathy Sullivan] The
hierarchy of big meetings,
510
00:27:15,551 --> 00:27:18,262
the main table had always
only ever been men.
511
00:27:19,596 --> 00:27:21,765
I can recall some kind
of perplexed looks.
512
00:27:22,933 --> 00:27:24,976
"What's that girl doing,
whose secretary is sitting
513
00:27:24,977 --> 00:27:26,353
at the table?"
514
00:27:27,187 --> 00:27:29,105
[reporter] Is there any
difference being a female
515
00:27:29,106 --> 00:27:31,482
astronaut as opposed to
being a male astronaut?
516
00:27:31,483 --> 00:27:33,067
Is there anything positive,
anything negative,
517
00:27:33,068 --> 00:27:34,277
anything funny?
518
00:27:34,278 --> 00:27:35,486
- No.
519
00:27:35,487 --> 00:27:38,197
I don't think, I don't think
you ought to even address that
520
00:27:38,198 --> 00:27:39,741
question in your program.
521
00:27:41,368 --> 00:27:42,994
[reporter] Do I.
522
00:27:42,995 --> 00:27:45,539
- I would like you to
cut that out, okay?
523
00:27:46,206 --> 00:27:47,833
[reporter] Fine. That's it.
524
00:27:48,959 --> 00:27:52,462
- All of us tried to
downplay our femininity.
525
00:27:53,630 --> 00:27:56,216
Sally and I went
shopping together.
526
00:27:56,675 --> 00:28:00,761
We were looking for
brown khaki pants and shirts
527
00:28:00,762 --> 00:28:02,848
that looked like
what the guys wear.
528
00:28:04,391 --> 00:28:07,727
We wanted them to think
of us as one of the team and
529
00:28:07,728 --> 00:28:09,730
not as a female astronaut.
530
00:28:12,316 --> 00:28:13,566
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] This
is a jacket that I think
531
00:28:13,567 --> 00:28:15,526
Sally enjoyed wearing,
you know,
532
00:28:15,527 --> 00:28:17,529
with her aviator sunglasses.
533
00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:20,031
She was channeling, you know,
534
00:28:20,032 --> 00:28:21,949
the Apollo
astronauts and all their,
535
00:28:21,950 --> 00:28:25,621
kind of their macho,
cocky, cocky ways.
536
00:28:28,457 --> 00:28:29,874
[Anna Fisher] The
women astronauts had a
537
00:28:29,875 --> 00:28:31,208
fine line to walk.
538
00:28:31,209 --> 00:28:33,295
On the one hand,
they wanted to blend in.
539
00:28:35,464 --> 00:28:37,673
But they also had
to find a way to confront
540
00:28:37,674 --> 00:28:40,844
the baked-in sexism of
the culture of the time.
541
00:28:41,303 --> 00:28:43,387
- No, either, what
I, what I was saying was
542
00:28:43,388 --> 00:28:44,555
it's not Ms. Ride.
543
00:28:44,556 --> 00:28:46,474
It's either Doctor
or it's Sally.
544
00:28:46,475 --> 00:28:47,725
And you can take your choice.
545
00:28:47,726 --> 00:28:48,726
[reporter] Okay.
546
00:28:48,727 --> 00:28:49,852
[crew] Take your choice.
It's probably easier--
547
00:28:49,853 --> 00:28:50,895
[reporter] I
think Sally for her.
548
00:28:50,896 --> 00:28:52,480
[crew] We can use it
one time, one way,
549
00:28:52,481 --> 00:28:53,564
one time, the next way?
550
00:28:53,565 --> 00:28:54,607
[reporter] Okay.
551
00:28:54,608 --> 00:28:55,733
- That's right.
552
00:28:55,734 --> 00:28:56,859
[crew] Huh?
Just don't get.
553
00:28:56,860 --> 00:28:58,736
[reporter] 'Cause we kinda...
554
00:28:58,737 --> 00:29:00,321
- Well, that one's not right.
555
00:29:00,322 --> 00:29:01,948
{\an8}[reporter] Okay.
556
00:29:01,949 --> 00:29:03,866
{\an8}[Sally Ride] There are
elements of NASA that really
557
00:29:03,867 --> 00:29:05,577
{\an8}don't know what to do with us.
558
00:29:06,328 --> 00:29:08,246
{\an8}Some of them are a
little bit patronizing.
559
00:29:09,706 --> 00:29:11,040
Every time they'll come
to talk to one of us,
560
00:29:11,041 --> 00:29:13,168
they're not quite sure
what to make of us.
561
00:29:17,631 --> 00:29:20,299
- I was a graduate
at West Point.
562
00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:22,009
Went to Vietnam.
563
00:29:22,010 --> 00:29:24,012
134 combat missions over there.
564
00:29:25,180 --> 00:29:28,766
I felt that the women who
were selected hadn't paid
565
00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:30,769
their dues like we had.
566
00:29:32,145 --> 00:29:34,398
Quite a few of the military
people shared my attitude.
567
00:29:38,652 --> 00:29:40,696
You know, I thought Sally
was very attractive.
568
00:29:42,948 --> 00:29:44,658
Judy was beautiful.
569
00:29:45,283 --> 00:29:46,951
That was the
reality at the time.
570
00:29:46,952 --> 00:29:48,703
You know, men saw
women then for,
571
00:29:48,704 --> 00:29:51,665
for the sexual
creatures they were.
572
00:29:51,999 --> 00:29:53,124
But women astronauts?
573
00:29:53,125 --> 00:29:54,542
Are you kidding me?
574
00:29:54,543 --> 00:29:58,170
- There, there.
Astronauts don't cry.
575
00:29:58,171 --> 00:29:59,547
[Mike Mullane] They'll
panic at the first problem.
576
00:29:59,548 --> 00:30:01,132
They'll be screaming.
They'll be clutching.
577
00:30:01,133 --> 00:30:02,843
They'll be looking for
a man to hide behind.
578
00:30:03,677 --> 00:30:05,970
- We must investigate,
under controlled conditions,
579
00:30:05,971 --> 00:30:08,432
the reactions of a woman
to moon space environment.
580
00:30:09,266 --> 00:30:11,309
- Well, Renzo,
welcome to your new home.
581
00:30:15,397 --> 00:30:17,399
[whimpering]
582
00:30:17,983 --> 00:30:19,901
[automated voice]
That unit is defective.
583
00:30:20,235 --> 00:30:21,653
Its thinking is chaotic.
584
00:30:22,154 --> 00:30:24,322
- That unit is a woman.
585
00:30:25,824 --> 00:30:27,408
- I remember telling
a joke and it had some
586
00:30:27,409 --> 00:30:29,035
obscene language in it.
587
00:30:29,036 --> 00:30:32,288
And you can obviously edit
this out but the punch line
588
00:30:32,289 --> 00:30:34,207
involved the word "tits."
589
00:30:35,125 --> 00:30:37,084
And I could just see
in her eyes, you know,
590
00:30:37,085 --> 00:30:39,170
this look of "You're
the most disgusting person
591
00:30:39,171 --> 00:30:41,088
I've ever met."
592
00:30:41,089 --> 00:30:43,050
And I didn't talk to
her much after that.
593
00:30:44,551 --> 00:30:46,928
I had never worked
professionally with women.
594
00:30:47,304 --> 00:30:48,721
I was very suspect of,
595
00:30:48,722 --> 00:30:52,349
of them being able to perform
in such a dangerous world
596
00:30:52,350 --> 00:30:54,227
of high-performance flight.
597
00:30:54,853 --> 00:30:56,228
I just couldn't see what
they were gonna be bringing
598
00:30:56,229 --> 00:30:57,689
to the table.
599
00:30:58,065 --> 00:31:00,232
- The reason that women
weren't able to go into space
600
00:31:00,233 --> 00:31:03,360
in the early 1960s
was really because they
601
00:31:03,361 --> 00:31:05,738
had never thought
about the astronaut being
602
00:31:05,739 --> 00:31:07,199
anything other than a man.
603
00:31:08,366 --> 00:31:09,867
[reporter] Is there any
room in our space program for
604
00:31:09,868 --> 00:31:11,453
a woman astronaut?
605
00:31:12,204 --> 00:31:13,829
- Well, we could
have used a woman,
606
00:31:13,830 --> 00:31:16,166
and flown her instead
of the chimpanzee.
607
00:31:16,583 --> 00:31:17,541
Now, I--
608
00:31:17,542 --> 00:31:19,461
[laughter]
609
00:31:21,630 --> 00:31:23,047
[Margaret Weitekamp]
In the late '50s,
610
00:31:23,048 --> 00:31:26,300
a group of women pilots who
went through all of the same
611
00:31:26,301 --> 00:31:29,638
tests that had been put
together for the male candidates
612
00:31:30,222 --> 00:31:31,848
for the Mercury program.
613
00:31:33,016 --> 00:31:35,142
- If we're going to send
a human being into space,
614
00:31:35,143 --> 00:31:37,187
we should send the
one most qualified.
615
00:31:37,562 --> 00:31:38,521
Women weigh less,
616
00:31:38,522 --> 00:31:40,106
require less weight,
food, and oxygen,
617
00:31:40,107 --> 00:31:41,690
so you could go up
in the same booster.
618
00:31:41,691 --> 00:31:43,485
Go up higher or stay
up a lot longer.
619
00:31:44,444 --> 00:31:46,488
- The women did very well.
620
00:31:47,072 --> 00:31:50,449
They did much better on
the cardiopulmonary tests and
621
00:31:50,450 --> 00:31:52,369
the sensory deprivation testing.
622
00:31:53,036 --> 00:31:56,038
- But if you could find women
better qualified than yourself,
623
00:31:56,039 --> 00:31:57,373
how would you welcome
them in the program?
624
00:31:57,374 --> 00:32:00,836
- Oh.
They would be very welcome.
625
00:32:03,547 --> 00:32:05,089
[Margaret Weitekamp]
Very few people spoke against
626
00:32:05,090 --> 00:32:08,718
the women explicitly,
but, eventually,
627
00:32:09,094 --> 00:32:11,012
the program was canceled.
628
00:32:15,892 --> 00:32:17,853
{\an8}[Lynn Sherr] The Soviets,
they got there first.
629
00:32:19,563 --> 00:32:21,064
They had the first
satellite with Sputnik.
630
00:32:22,858 --> 00:32:24,568
They had the first
human in space.
631
00:32:25,986 --> 00:32:27,821
They had the
first female in space,
632
00:32:28,613 --> 00:32:30,240
Valentina Tereshkova.
633
00:32:31,074 --> 00:32:33,910
But America wasn't ready
for a woman for a long time.
634
00:32:36,788 --> 00:32:38,414
{\an8}[reporter] Sally, is there
anybody here at NASA who is
635
00:32:38,415 --> 00:32:40,875
{\an8}still unconvinced
that women have a place
636
00:32:40,876 --> 00:32:42,127
{\an8}in the space program?
637
00:32:42,752 --> 00:32:45,504
{\an8}- I think there are a
few people that are,
638
00:32:45,505 --> 00:32:47,089
{\an8}that are waiting
to see how I do.
639
00:32:47,090 --> 00:32:48,842
{\an8}Let me, let me put it that way.
640
00:32:50,719 --> 00:32:52,428
{\an8}[Lynn Sherr] After only
one year of training,
641
00:32:52,429 --> 00:32:55,515
{\an8}Sally was chosen to
be CapCom on STS-2.
642
00:33:00,604 --> 00:33:02,146
[radio chatter]
643
00:33:02,147 --> 00:33:05,482
That's like a plum position,
the only person in
644
00:33:05,483 --> 00:33:08,195
Mission Control to talk
to the astronauts in space.
645
00:33:08,945 --> 00:33:10,654
[Sally Ride] Okay.
You're loud and clear now.
646
00:33:10,655 --> 00:33:13,450
And we copied your RMS
comments and it sounds great.
647
00:33:13,783 --> 00:33:14,910
- Okay.
648
00:33:15,327 --> 00:33:16,702
[Mike Mullane] It's a lot
of responsibility.
649
00:33:16,703 --> 00:33:18,996
And on that particular mission,
650
00:33:18,997 --> 00:33:20,582
they had, had some problems.
651
00:33:22,542 --> 00:33:23,584
[Lynn Sherr]
During the mission,
652
00:33:23,585 --> 00:33:25,253
heat tiles were damaged.
653
00:33:26,504 --> 00:33:29,215
- Well, the first part of
this ride is a real barn burner.
654
00:33:29,216 --> 00:33:30,842
And we've got some flakes
going by the window.
655
00:33:31,676 --> 00:33:35,054
- The heat tiles are the
only thing that protects
656
00:33:35,055 --> 00:33:37,806
the shuttle when it comes
back into Earth's atmosphere.
657
00:33:37,807 --> 00:33:40,185
Without enough heat
tiles, it blows up.
658
00:33:40,810 --> 00:33:43,563
- So, there are some
changes coming to them.
659
00:33:44,481 --> 00:33:46,190
- But you don't want me to even
mention that there are
660
00:33:46,191 --> 00:33:47,858
changes coming until we
get over the States.
661
00:33:47,859 --> 00:33:49,236
- That's right.
662
00:33:49,653 --> 00:33:51,779
- We'd like to take
a look a little while longer at
663
00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:53,323
the camera problem.
664
00:33:54,741 --> 00:33:56,034
- Okay.
665
00:33:57,452 --> 00:34:00,288
- The plan is at a
standstill here, guys.
666
00:34:01,081 --> 00:34:03,667
- You understand we've
lost the, the camera.
667
00:34:04,542 --> 00:34:06,001
The same failure.
668
00:34:06,002 --> 00:34:07,545
The circuit breaker is out.
669
00:34:08,505 --> 00:34:10,005
{\an8}[Tam O'Shaughnessy] There
was increasing frustration
670
00:34:10,006 --> 00:34:11,466
{\an8}in the control room.
671
00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:13,093
{\an8}Lives were on the line.
672
00:34:13,385 --> 00:34:15,594
- Well, uh, fiddlesticks.
673
00:34:15,595 --> 00:34:17,264
We need to decide what
we're gonna do here.
674
00:34:18,265 --> 00:34:19,598
CapCom, tell them to,
675
00:34:19,599 --> 00:34:21,225
to go ahead and
abort the grapple test.
676
00:34:21,226 --> 00:34:22,768
- Okay.
- Then we'll talk about
677
00:34:22,769 --> 00:34:24,770
camera circuit breakers
and reset some stuff later.
678
00:34:24,771 --> 00:34:26,522
[Sally Ride] We got data
down here to look at then
679
00:34:26,523 --> 00:34:28,357
so let us think about that.
680
00:34:28,358 --> 00:34:29,858
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] She
wanted to prove she could
681
00:34:29,859 --> 00:34:31,610
handle the pressure.
682
00:34:31,611 --> 00:34:32,653
[Sally Ride] Columbia, Houston,
683
00:34:32,654 --> 00:34:34,321
while we're looking
into the camera problem,
684
00:34:34,322 --> 00:34:36,700
if you could give us
spec one to a GNC machine,
685
00:34:37,075 --> 00:34:38,535
we'll start that.
686
00:34:39,786 --> 00:34:42,288
- She performed
so well as CapCom.
687
00:34:42,289 --> 00:34:44,039
She was articulate.
688
00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,460
She was good under pressure.
Smart, worked hard.
689
00:34:48,586 --> 00:34:49,713
- Hi, Mom.
690
00:34:51,006 --> 00:34:52,382
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] And funny.
691
00:34:56,261 --> 00:34:57,720
[reporter] You were the
first female CapCom.
692
00:34:57,721 --> 00:34:59,681
Were you scared?
Did you love it?
693
00:35:00,015 --> 00:35:01,015
What, what, what were
you thinking then?
694
00:35:01,016 --> 00:35:02,475
[Sally Ride] That was fun.
695
00:35:02,851 --> 00:35:04,560
That is, that is,
next to flying,
696
00:35:04,561 --> 00:35:06,396
probably the best job
in the astronaut office,
697
00:35:06,730 --> 00:35:10,524
'cause I thought that it was,
it was really an honor to be
698
00:35:10,525 --> 00:35:12,402
the one that gets
to talk to the crew.
699
00:35:12,986 --> 00:35:16,072
Um, and I was scared to death.
700
00:35:24,873 --> 00:35:26,291
[laughs]
701
00:35:27,292 --> 00:35:29,960
- So this, I can't remember
what year this was,
702
00:35:29,961 --> 00:35:31,962
but this is Billie Jean King,
703
00:35:31,963 --> 00:35:34,883
the fabulous tennis player,
and Sally.
704
00:35:36,843 --> 00:35:39,346
[Billie Jean King] I knew
Sally in the early days.
705
00:35:40,722 --> 00:35:43,016
She loved sports.
She loved tennis.
706
00:35:44,142 --> 00:35:47,312
She was a camp counselor
at Tennis America.
707
00:35:48,146 --> 00:35:50,522
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Tennis America was a really cool
708
00:35:50,523 --> 00:35:53,652
tennis camp that
Billie Jean King started.
709
00:35:54,486 --> 00:35:57,404
Sally was the best tennis
player of all the tennis kids
710
00:35:57,405 --> 00:35:59,406
and counselors at the camp,
711
00:35:59,407 --> 00:36:01,534
and they became
lifelong friends.
712
00:36:03,453 --> 00:36:05,371
[reporter] It has been
a spectacular career.
713
00:36:05,372 --> 00:36:07,373
Billie Jean King has
done for women's tennis what
714
00:36:07,374 --> 00:36:09,209
Muhammad Ali did for boxing.
715
00:36:09,626 --> 00:36:11,460
She has won 20
Wimbledon titles and
716
00:36:11,461 --> 00:36:14,213
13 United States Open titles.
717
00:36:14,214 --> 00:36:17,383
{\an8}[Sally Ride] I have a lot of
respect for her as a person.
718
00:36:17,384 --> 00:36:19,760
{\an8}I think that she's done
a lot for women and is the
719
00:36:19,761 --> 00:36:22,889
kind of person that can speak
out articulately on things.
720
00:36:23,223 --> 00:36:24,683
I admire her a lot.
721
00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:27,226
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Sally
grew up watching Billie Jean,
722
00:36:27,227 --> 00:36:30,814
hearing about her advocacy
for girls and women.
723
00:36:31,606 --> 00:36:34,400
Through Billie Jean,
Sally learned what a
724
00:36:34,401 --> 00:36:35,985
champion looks like.
725
00:36:38,405 --> 00:36:41,324
And then, Billie Jean's
life turned upside down.
726
00:36:42,075 --> 00:36:44,118
- Billie Jean King has
been served with a homosexual
727
00:36:44,119 --> 00:36:46,787
palimony suit by a woman
claiming she and the tennis
728
00:36:46,788 --> 00:36:48,580
star were lovers
for several years.
729
00:36:48,581 --> 00:36:52,000
- Last week Billie Jean King
told us of her lesbian affair.
730
00:36:52,001 --> 00:36:54,044
The snickers could
be heard worldwide.
731
00:36:54,045 --> 00:36:56,004
The media had a
field day with the story.
732
00:36:56,005 --> 00:36:58,590
- The tennis star admitted
at a news conference that
733
00:36:58,591 --> 00:37:01,720
she'd had an affair some
years back with her secretary.
734
00:37:03,388 --> 00:37:06,015
{\an8}- When I got outed, I lost
every endorsement overnight.
735
00:37:07,308 --> 00:37:09,811
{\an8}So that's it.
So I had to start over.
736
00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:13,105
I had to pay a lot of
money to the lawyers and
737
00:37:13,106 --> 00:37:15,859
I have to start over,
financially, every way.
738
00:37:16,609 --> 00:37:17,693
- Tennis star,
Billie Jean King,
739
00:37:17,694 --> 00:37:20,947
has been dropped from her
vitamin advertising campaign.
740
00:37:21,364 --> 00:37:23,157
{\an8}- My mom used to say,
741
00:37:23,158 --> 00:37:25,452
{\an8}"Billie Jean, don't
forget your vitamins."
742
00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:30,165
It was downhill
for a lot of years.
743
00:37:30,582 --> 00:37:32,417
Yeah.
744
00:37:33,084 --> 00:37:38,047
- Any gay, you know,
person of any renown,
745
00:37:38,923 --> 00:37:41,091
they'd have to
sit and think twice,
746
00:37:41,092 --> 00:37:43,177
"You know, look what
happened to Billie Jean."
747
00:37:43,178 --> 00:37:46,014
It must have sort of
served as a warning.
748
00:37:48,391 --> 00:37:49,433
[Billie Jean King]
Sally was probably thinking,
749
00:37:49,434 --> 00:37:52,144
"Well, I'm not going there.
750
00:37:52,145 --> 00:37:53,562
Oh, my God, if that
happened to Billie,
751
00:37:53,563 --> 00:37:55,773
what's gonna happen
if I say anything
752
00:37:55,774 --> 00:37:57,525
in this program?"
753
00:37:58,109 --> 00:37:59,485
Being in the closet,
754
00:37:59,486 --> 00:38:03,490
everything you do was
measured and careful,
755
00:38:05,408 --> 00:38:08,203
and you have to decide
what to say and what not to say.
756
00:38:09,162 --> 00:38:10,705
It's exhausting.
757
00:38:12,457 --> 00:38:14,667
So you can never reveal
much of yourself.
758
00:38:27,180 --> 00:38:32,769
♪ I've been waiting
patiently for my dream lover ♪
759
00:38:33,686 --> 00:38:35,814
♪ To come to me. ♪
760
00:38:36,314 --> 00:38:37,815
♪ Hoping you would say. ♪
761
00:38:37,816 --> 00:38:40,025
[reporter] Astronaut Sally Ride
and Steve Hawley got married
762
00:38:40,026 --> 00:38:41,777
last month in Salina, Kansas.
763
00:38:41,778 --> 00:38:44,072
They kept the news
secret until this week.
764
00:38:46,032 --> 00:38:48,033
[Lynn Sherr] Steve's father
and Sally's sister,
765
00:38:48,034 --> 00:38:50,203
both ministers,
did the ceremony.
766
00:38:50,870 --> 00:38:52,747
I didn't even know about
it until after it happened.
767
00:38:53,081 --> 00:38:54,915
Steve sorta didn't realize they
were getting married either
768
00:38:54,916 --> 00:38:56,417
till they finally got married.
769
00:38:57,460 --> 00:38:59,628
[Bear Ride] We were kinda
surprised when Sally said that
770
00:38:59,629 --> 00:39:00,921
they were gonna get married.
771
00:39:00,922 --> 00:39:04,633
Somehow I had sort of never
pictured Sally getting married,
772
00:39:04,634 --> 00:39:06,219
but there you had it.
773
00:39:07,095 --> 00:39:09,305
[Lynn Sherr] It was an unusual
wedding, to say the least.
774
00:39:09,806 --> 00:39:11,598
They both wore white,
white jeans.
775
00:39:11,599 --> 00:39:14,185
♪ Welcome baby
to my heart. ♪
776
00:39:15,478 --> 00:39:17,230
[crew] Take one, sound 21.
777
00:39:18,898 --> 00:39:20,315
- Uh, my name is Steve Hawley.
778
00:39:20,316 --> 00:39:21,860
I'm from Salina, Kansas.
779
00:39:22,193 --> 00:39:23,569
I'm Steve Hawley.
780
00:39:23,570 --> 00:39:28,867
I was a member of the class
of 1978 shuttle astronaut,
781
00:39:29,325 --> 00:39:30,784
Sally was too.
782
00:39:30,785 --> 00:39:32,328
So we were classmates.
783
00:39:33,204 --> 00:39:34,663
I would say our
relationship was always
784
00:39:34,664 --> 00:39:36,331
sort of nontraditional.
785
00:39:36,332 --> 00:39:37,791
Part of that was
our personalities,
786
00:39:37,792 --> 00:39:39,460
part of it was the jobs we had.
787
00:39:40,253 --> 00:39:41,587
[reporter] When you
have two astronauts married
788
00:39:41,588 --> 00:39:43,255
to each other,
is it different from say
789
00:39:43,256 --> 00:39:44,798
two teachers or two lawyers?
790
00:39:44,799 --> 00:39:46,301
Do you bring your
work home with you?
791
00:39:46,676 --> 00:39:48,844
- My guess is teachers would
talk about teaching at home.
792
00:39:48,845 --> 00:39:52,264
We talk about flight rules and
flight performance reserves and
793
00:39:52,265 --> 00:39:54,975
ISPs and solid rocket
motor performance and
794
00:39:54,976 --> 00:39:56,018
things like that.
795
00:39:56,019 --> 00:39:57,562
But it's 'cause we enjoy it.
796
00:39:57,937 --> 00:39:59,438
She had a great sense of humor.
797
00:39:59,439 --> 00:40:00,856
She was athletic.
798
00:40:00,857 --> 00:40:03,400
I was a little concerned
that I might not be able to
799
00:40:03,401 --> 00:40:05,069
keep up with Sally.
800
00:40:08,865 --> 00:40:11,033
{\an8}[Tam O'Shaughnessy] It
just didn't gel with me.
801
00:40:11,034 --> 00:40:12,869
{\an8}It didn't feel quite right.
802
00:40:13,494 --> 00:40:15,872
{\an8}It just didn't feel like Sally.
803
00:40:18,249 --> 00:40:20,334
- Certainly one of my
first thoughts was,
804
00:40:20,335 --> 00:40:21,960
"Great PR move.
805
00:40:21,961 --> 00:40:25,172
That's gonna make for all
the right publicity photos.
806
00:40:25,173 --> 00:40:27,507
Handsome young astronaut couple.
807
00:40:27,508 --> 00:40:29,469
Just fits a nice, neat package."
808
00:40:29,677 --> 00:40:32,388
[reporter] What is your idea
of a great evening at home?
809
00:40:33,681 --> 00:40:35,099
- That one's easy.
- Yeah.
810
00:40:35,391 --> 00:40:37,601
- Lying in front of the
television set with basically,
811
00:40:37,602 --> 00:40:39,853
{\an8}with our brains
turned off, I think.
812
00:40:39,854 --> 00:40:41,438
{\an8}- Yeah, it's, it's so
uncommon, I guess,
813
00:40:41,439 --> 00:40:43,857
{\an8}that we have a chance to,
to be together with nothing
814
00:40:43,858 --> 00:40:46,693
{\an8}to do that we very much
enjoy the times when we can
815
00:40:46,694 --> 00:40:48,363
absolutely do nothing.
816
00:40:49,238 --> 00:40:53,618
I can't say for sure that
I know what motivated her
817
00:40:53,785 --> 00:40:56,829
to want to go ahead
and get married.
818
00:40:57,956 --> 00:40:59,331
At the time I thought,
819
00:40:59,332 --> 00:41:00,917
"Great, you know?"
That's what I wanted too."
820
00:41:02,377 --> 00:41:04,711
It just felt like we were
getting married, both of us,
821
00:41:04,712 --> 00:41:06,172
in good faith.
822
00:41:06,673 --> 00:41:08,424
[Anna Fisher] She may
have felt pressure, in case,
823
00:41:08,967 --> 00:41:11,886
anybody thought she was gay.
824
00:41:14,055 --> 00:41:17,642
- I don't know what mixture
her motives might have been.
825
00:41:18,977 --> 00:41:20,269
It might have been...
826
00:41:20,395 --> 00:41:22,062
NASA was barely ready for women.
827
00:41:22,063 --> 00:41:23,648
They're not ready for this.
828
00:41:24,232 --> 00:41:26,858
[Molly Tyson] One time a
very close friend asked Sally
829
00:41:26,859 --> 00:41:28,694
directly, "Were you in a sexual
relationship with Molly?"
830
00:41:28,695 --> 00:41:31,531
She said, "Molly wanted it,
but I didn't."
831
00:41:33,491 --> 00:41:36,119
She had this really
difficult line to walk.
832
00:41:37,495 --> 00:41:40,790
It seems like a pretty
good strategy to find someone
833
00:41:40,915 --> 00:41:42,333
within the club.
834
00:41:43,710 --> 00:41:45,503
It would serve her well.
835
00:41:45,628 --> 00:41:47,422
You know, it would
check another box.
836
00:41:53,553 --> 00:41:54,511
[Tam O'Shaughnessy] Oh, God.
837
00:41:54,512 --> 00:41:56,180
Okay.
838
00:41:56,764 --> 00:42:02,061
So Sally would just send
these sweet funky notes to me.
839
00:42:02,812 --> 00:42:03,979
So this one,
840
00:42:03,980 --> 00:42:08,401
"Dear Tam, while I was fooling
around with trig identities,
841
00:42:09,318 --> 00:42:10,944
I decided to
tackle the problem of red
842
00:42:10,945 --> 00:42:13,281
plus green equals yellow.
843
00:42:14,991 --> 00:42:16,701
It works."
844
00:42:21,289 --> 00:42:25,292
And so she actually did the
math to show how you get yellow.
845
00:42:25,293 --> 00:42:26,836
Red plus green equals yellow.
846
00:42:27,712 --> 00:42:29,796
"Isn't physics wonderful?
847
00:42:29,797 --> 00:42:31,214
You sure are.
848
00:42:31,215 --> 00:42:32,884
Love, the mad physicist."
849
00:42:33,843 --> 00:42:36,387
It's, it's a classic
note from Sally.
850
00:42:37,305 --> 00:42:39,223
It's just, it's fabulous.
851
00:42:50,193 --> 00:42:52,820
[Mike Mullane] One morning,
George Abbey called a meeting.
852
00:42:53,613 --> 00:42:55,406
- Ken, you wanna
get that back door?
853
00:42:57,408 --> 00:43:01,704
- And he stood there and
announced the crew for STS-7.
854
00:43:04,373 --> 00:43:06,000
[John Fabian] Four
names were announced.
855
00:43:06,626 --> 00:43:09,295
There was a rather
silent reaction.
856
00:43:11,047 --> 00:43:12,798
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
There were rumors that
857
00:43:12,799 --> 00:43:15,133
Judy was the number one choice,
858
00:43:15,134 --> 00:43:17,969
but George Abbey
thought that Judy liked the
859
00:43:17,970 --> 00:43:20,556
spotlight too much and
Sally could care less.
860
00:43:21,557 --> 00:43:25,103
So he convinced the
others that it should be Sally.
861
00:43:27,188 --> 00:43:29,816
{\an8}[Sally Ride] We'd been in
training for four years,
862
00:43:30,191 --> 00:43:31,567
{\an8}building up to this point.
863
00:43:32,652 --> 00:43:35,363
And that's when George Abbey
told me that I was gonna
864
00:43:35,613 --> 00:43:37,865
be the first American
woman to go into space.
865
00:43:47,416 --> 00:43:49,751
I was numb and I really
don't have any recollection
866
00:43:49,752 --> 00:43:51,503
of how I felt.
867
00:43:51,504 --> 00:43:54,172
I know that they wouldn't
let us tell anybody else.
868
00:43:54,173 --> 00:43:56,216
I just remember kind of
walking around in a fog with
869
00:43:56,217 --> 00:43:58,510
John Fabian most of the day,
because he was in the same fog
870
00:43:58,511 --> 00:43:59,970
that I was.
871
00:43:59,971 --> 00:44:01,389
And that's about
all that I remember.
872
00:44:01,848 --> 00:44:04,600
- It was a feeling
of unbelievable joy.
873
00:44:05,393 --> 00:44:07,519
Sally and I were among
the first people in our
874
00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:09,313
class to fly.
875
00:44:10,273 --> 00:44:13,025
She had earned that
position on the first flight.
876
00:44:13,985 --> 00:44:16,945
The balance that she
had in her personality,
877
00:44:16,946 --> 00:44:20,241
the seriousness with which she
assumed her responsibilities,
878
00:44:21,284 --> 00:44:24,077
her knowledge of the systems.
879
00:44:24,078 --> 00:44:25,954
- Dr. Ride, what does
it mean to you personally,
880
00:44:25,955 --> 00:44:28,666
this achievement of,
of going into space?
881
00:44:29,250 --> 00:44:30,375
[Sally Ride] Oh, this is
something that I've been
882
00:44:30,376 --> 00:44:32,752
looking forward to ever
since I came to NASA for the
883
00:44:32,753 --> 00:44:34,504
last four years.
884
00:44:34,505 --> 00:44:36,506
{\an8}And it's a, it's a culmination
of the work that I've been
885
00:44:36,507 --> 00:44:38,633
{\an8}doing since I came to NASA.
886
00:44:38,634 --> 00:44:41,429
{\an8}And I'm, I'm just thrilled
to death to be able to do it.
887
00:44:47,310 --> 00:44:49,561
♪ Sun is shinin'
in the sky. ♪
888
00:44:49,562 --> 00:44:52,523
♪ There ain't a
cloud in sight. ♪
889
00:44:53,566 --> 00:44:54,900
[reporter] It'll be the
seventh shuttle mission,
890
00:44:54,901 --> 00:44:57,777
but it will also be a first,
for aboard will be America's
891
00:44:57,778 --> 00:45:00,781
first female astronaut,
a woman named Sally Ride.
892
00:45:02,742 --> 00:45:04,868
[reporter] The 30-year-old
astrophysicist will perform
893
00:45:04,869 --> 00:45:06,746
experiments aboard the
shuttle Challenger,
894
00:45:07,205 --> 00:45:09,080
the first American
woman in space.
895
00:45:09,081 --> 00:45:13,753
♪ Mr. Blue Sky is living
here today, hey. ♪
896
00:45:22,595 --> 00:45:25,013
- I flew a lot with Sally.
897
00:45:25,014 --> 00:45:26,891
Sally was a really,
really good pilot.
898
00:45:28,392 --> 00:45:30,728
One time, I asked Sally
if she would go with me.
899
00:45:31,562 --> 00:45:34,064
We flew out over
the Gulf of Mexico.
900
00:45:34,065 --> 00:45:36,025
We went through all
of the acrobatics.
901
00:45:37,318 --> 00:45:39,736
Things like turning yourself
upside down and then diving
902
00:45:39,737 --> 00:45:41,947
towards the Earth and
pulling out the bottom,
903
00:45:41,948 --> 00:45:44,116
it's called a
"Split S Maneuver,"
904
00:45:44,951 --> 00:45:47,495
and doing a complete circle.
905
00:45:48,788 --> 00:45:50,873
And Sally is back
there going, "Wee!"
906
00:45:51,582 --> 00:45:55,336
It came natural.
No training required.
907
00:45:58,673 --> 00:46:00,883
♪ Mr. Blue Sky. ♪
908
00:46:02,969 --> 00:46:05,972
♪ Mr. Blue Sky. ♪
909
00:46:08,307 --> 00:46:11,602
♪ Mr. Blue Sky. ♪
910
00:46:14,814 --> 00:46:16,189
♪ Mr. Blue, you did it right. ♪
911
00:46:16,190 --> 00:46:17,607
[reporter] What does it
feel like to be flying?
912
00:46:17,608 --> 00:46:18,858
Is it a freedom kind of thing?
913
00:46:18,859 --> 00:46:20,610
[Sally Ride] It's a feeling
of being a little bit
914
00:46:20,611 --> 00:46:22,696
above everything,
being able to see a lot and
915
00:46:22,697 --> 00:46:24,615
just kind of having the
wind blow in your face.
916
00:46:24,949 --> 00:46:26,616
It's a feeling really
of exhilaration.
917
00:46:26,617 --> 00:46:28,076
♪ I'll remember you this, ♪
918
00:46:28,077 --> 00:46:31,621
♪ I'll remember you this way. ♪
919
00:46:31,622 --> 00:46:35,375
♪ Mr. Blue Sky, please tell
us why you had to hide away ♪
920
00:46:35,376 --> 00:46:37,252
♪ For so long. ♪
921
00:46:37,253 --> 00:46:38,295
♪ So long. ♪
922
00:46:38,296 --> 00:46:39,671
♪ Where did we go wrong? ♪
923
00:46:39,672 --> 00:46:40,714
[reporter] Are you excited?
924
00:46:40,715 --> 00:46:42,174
- Oh, yeah.
925
00:46:42,883 --> 00:46:44,634
[reporter] George Abbey says
one of the things they did look
926
00:46:44,635 --> 00:46:46,803
at after you were selected was
to figure out whether you could
927
00:46:46,804 --> 00:46:49,514
handle the stress that might
come from being the first woman.
928
00:46:49,515 --> 00:46:50,557
Do you think you can?
929
00:46:50,558 --> 00:46:52,310
- I hope I can.
930
00:46:57,523 --> 00:46:59,149
[crew] Camera roll one.
931
00:46:59,150 --> 00:47:04,655
Packing for, into the shuttle,
uh, cartons, whatever.
932
00:47:08,242 --> 00:47:10,285
[Kathy Sullivan] When the
run-up to Sally's flight,
933
00:47:10,286 --> 00:47:12,537
there's this question of,
"Are there really issues with
934
00:47:12,538 --> 00:47:13,580
a woman flying?
935
00:47:13,581 --> 00:47:15,249
Have we thought of them all?"
936
00:47:20,087 --> 00:47:21,838
There was a very
conventional set of things in
937
00:47:21,839 --> 00:47:23,549
the men's toiletry kits.
938
00:47:27,219 --> 00:47:30,723
But what should go in the
equivalent kit for a woman?
939
00:47:32,016 --> 00:47:34,559
Sally was the first
woman to take stock of what
940
00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:36,228
they call crew equipment.
941
00:47:37,938 --> 00:47:40,441
{\an8}[Sally Ride] They knew that a
guy might want a shaving kit.
942
00:47:40,900 --> 00:47:43,319
{\an8}But they didn't know what a
female astronaut would take.
943
00:47:44,028 --> 00:47:46,947
And so the engineers at NASA
in their infinite wisdom...
944
00:47:49,367 --> 00:47:51,202
...designed a makeup kit.
945
00:47:52,119 --> 00:47:54,705
You know, a makeup kit brought
to you by NASA engineers.
946
00:47:58,417 --> 00:48:00,251
And then they asked
how many tampons.
947
00:48:00,252 --> 00:48:02,213
Should fly on a one-week flight.
948
00:48:03,089 --> 00:48:05,590
[Kathy Sullivan] She gets to
one of these toiletry kits and
949
00:48:05,591 --> 00:48:08,177
it's a spring-loaded
canvas-covered thing.
950
00:48:08,969 --> 00:48:10,513
She pops it open.
951
00:48:10,888 --> 00:48:11,805
[Sally Ride] He asked me,
952
00:48:11,806 --> 00:48:13,139
"Is 100 the right number?"
953
00:48:13,140 --> 00:48:15,935
I said, "No." "That
would not be the right number."
954
00:48:16,352 --> 00:48:18,269
[Kathy Sullivan] Sally keeps
pulling this out like one of
955
00:48:18,270 --> 00:48:19,980
those exploding snakes
in a party trick.
956
00:48:21,649 --> 00:48:24,275
All six of us for at
least half a year,
957
00:48:24,276 --> 00:48:26,237
would not have used every
tampon that was in there.
958
00:48:32,118 --> 00:48:34,244
[crew] 5-24-83.
959
00:48:34,245 --> 00:48:36,496
Crew pre-flight
press conference.
960
00:48:36,497 --> 00:48:39,083
Camera roll one,
sound roll one.
961
00:48:39,708 --> 00:48:40,959
- Good afternoon.
962
00:48:40,960 --> 00:48:43,837
{\an8}It's really a pleasure to see
such a, a large gathering.
963
00:48:43,838 --> 00:48:46,005
{\an8}I thought the flying of the
shuttle would become rather
964
00:48:46,006 --> 00:48:49,008
{\an8}mundane and we couldn't
bring out this size of group.
965
00:48:49,009 --> 00:48:51,137
I think we know why most
people are here though.
966
00:48:55,433 --> 00:48:57,267
Sally, why don't you give
us a rundown of some of the
967
00:48:57,268 --> 00:48:59,561
experiments that
you're dealing with?
968
00:48:59,562 --> 00:49:02,689
- Okay, well, we're starting
off the on-orbit operations
969
00:49:02,690 --> 00:49:04,191
really on flight day one.
970
00:49:04,650 --> 00:49:08,529
{\an8}The only bad moments in our
training involved the press.
971
00:49:09,613 --> 00:49:11,657
{\an8}They didn't care about how
well prepared I was to operate
972
00:49:11,907 --> 00:49:14,243
the arm or deploy
communication satellites.
973
00:49:15,077 --> 00:49:19,290
They wanted to know what I
thought was extraneous things.
974
00:49:20,291 --> 00:49:22,917
[reporter] Uh, Sally, has it
taken a little bit getting used
975
00:49:22,918 --> 00:49:26,629
to the idea of traveling
in such tight quarters
976
00:49:26,630 --> 00:49:28,590
with four men?
977
00:49:28,591 --> 00:49:30,300
And do they tend to defer you?
978
00:49:30,301 --> 00:49:33,470
Do they continue their
gentlemanly ways when they're
979
00:49:33,471 --> 00:49:35,096
with you in training?
980
00:49:35,097 --> 00:49:36,764
- It really hasn't
taken any getting used to.
981
00:49:36,765 --> 00:49:39,350
I haven't, haven't felt
like I've been deferred
982
00:49:39,351 --> 00:49:41,519
to in any way.
983
00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:44,440
In fact, Crip won't even
open doors for me anymore.
984
00:49:45,774 --> 00:49:47,400
- I learned that
right away, Morgan.
985
00:49:47,401 --> 00:49:49,944
[reporter] Dr. Ride,
do you have any plans to
986
00:49:49,945 --> 00:49:51,739
be the first mother
who has traveled to space?
987
00:49:52,740 --> 00:49:57,285
And Dr. Thagard, are there any
reasons to be concerned about
988
00:49:57,286 --> 00:49:59,997
the effects of travel in
space on childbearing?
989
00:50:03,250 --> 00:50:04,668
- Go ahead, Norm.
990
00:50:05,878 --> 00:50:08,005
- Well, I'm not
personally concerned.
991
00:50:09,006 --> 00:50:10,715
- Jerry Henderson, Time magazine.
992
00:50:10,716 --> 00:50:13,718
Dr. Ride, a couple of fast,
quick questions here,
993
00:50:13,719 --> 00:50:15,513
sir, ma'am?
994
00:50:16,180 --> 00:50:18,515
What are you gonna do after
the end of this flight?
995
00:50:18,516 --> 00:50:21,059
Are you gonna, do you sense
you'll become a footnote in
996
00:50:21,060 --> 00:50:23,186
history, or will
you go on the shelf?
997
00:50:23,187 --> 00:50:25,397
What are your forward
plans after this flight?
998
00:50:25,731 --> 00:50:27,608
- Cancel your
subscription to Time?
999
00:50:28,234 --> 00:50:31,153
- Now, Dr. Ride, during
your training exercises,
1000
00:50:31,695 --> 00:50:35,490
as a member of this group,
when there was a problem,
1001
00:50:35,491 --> 00:50:38,243
when there was a funny
glitch or whatever,
1002
00:50:38,244 --> 00:50:41,037
how did you respond?
1003
00:50:41,038 --> 00:50:42,330
Do you, do you weep?
1004
00:50:42,331 --> 00:50:43,874
Do you, what do you do?
1005
00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:48,212
- Why doesn't anybody
ask Rick those questions?
1006
00:50:50,881 --> 00:50:55,093
- That's, the commander weeps.
1007
00:50:55,094 --> 00:50:57,178
[Sally Ride] I don't think that
I react any differently than
1008
00:50:57,179 --> 00:50:59,431
anybody else on the crew does.
1009
00:51:01,767 --> 00:51:04,728
- Anything else from Washington?
1010
00:51:10,776 --> 00:51:12,026
- Okay. You ready?
1011
00:51:12,027 --> 00:51:14,112
[crew] Uh-hmm. Go ahead.
1012
00:51:14,113 --> 00:51:16,072
- Molly, first of all, you're
very close to Sally Ride.
1013
00:51:16,073 --> 00:51:17,991
You lived with her
during the college years.
1014
00:51:17,992 --> 00:51:19,784
- Mm-hmm.
1015
00:51:19,785 --> 00:51:21,744
- Is this gonna be your first
launch you've ever seen?
1016
00:51:21,745 --> 00:51:23,997
- Yeah, I've seen
them on television.
1017
00:51:23,998 --> 00:51:25,582
But this is the first
time I, I will have been.
1018
00:51:25,583 --> 00:51:28,251
Sally invited me to the launch.
1019
00:51:28,252 --> 00:51:31,337
And there were lots of
wonderful gatherings for the,
1020
00:51:31,338 --> 00:51:33,173
the friends and family
of the astronauts.
1021
00:51:34,174 --> 00:51:36,759
And so I was attending
those with my girlfriend
1022
00:51:36,760 --> 00:51:38,887
at the time,
so it was pretty fun.
1023
00:51:40,139 --> 00:51:42,682
And then I got a
note slipped to me.
1024
00:51:42,683 --> 00:51:45,476
That said, "Sally wants
you to come for lunch at
1025
00:51:45,477 --> 00:51:47,021
the beach house."
1026
00:51:47,646 --> 00:51:49,480
And a little hand-drawn map.
1027
00:51:49,481 --> 00:51:50,857
The implication was,
1028
00:51:50,858 --> 00:51:53,067
"Don't tell anyone you're
doing this 'cause nobody
1029
00:51:53,068 --> 00:51:54,820
can see them
during this period."
1030
00:51:56,739 --> 00:51:59,324
You have to make sure you're
not bringing in any germs and
1031
00:51:59,325 --> 00:52:00,658
so I had a physical.
1032
00:52:00,659 --> 00:52:03,996
And then I was ushered
into the inner sanctum.
1033
00:52:04,455 --> 00:52:06,497
So that was my
chance to see Sally with
1034
00:52:06,498 --> 00:52:08,334
these other astronauts.
1035
00:52:08,917 --> 00:52:11,587
And she just so
much blended in.
1036
00:52:14,006 --> 00:52:16,841
They just exuded
this kind of quiet confidence,
1037
00:52:16,842 --> 00:52:17,884
you know?
1038
00:52:17,885 --> 00:52:20,721
It was almost a humility that
you want your heroes to have.
1039
00:52:23,140 --> 00:52:25,892
And then she was
showing me her flight suit and
1040
00:52:25,893 --> 00:52:28,270
she's showing me her
room and stuff like that.
1041
00:52:30,522 --> 00:52:32,023
And she said,
1042
00:52:32,024 --> 00:52:35,360
"I'm aware that this
is not without risks,
1043
00:52:35,361 --> 00:52:37,487
I could die."
1044
00:52:37,488 --> 00:52:39,947
It was one of the very few
times in our lives
1045
00:52:39,948 --> 00:52:42,284
that she had
seemed vulnerable to me.
1046
00:52:49,750 --> 00:52:52,001
{\an8}[Tam O'Shaughnessy] The
night before Sally's launch,
1047
00:52:52,002 --> 00:52:54,546
{\an8}she told me that she was
afraid, that she was scared,
1048
00:52:56,173 --> 00:52:59,967
and that a former astronaut
told her that if you're not
1049
00:52:59,968 --> 00:53:02,596
afraid, you don't know
what's about to happen.
1050
00:53:05,265 --> 00:53:08,601
So she was fully aware
that she was gonna be riding on
1051
00:53:08,602 --> 00:53:12,022
tons of rocket fuel that
was exploding beneath her.
1052
00:53:12,731 --> 00:53:14,942
Anything could happen.
1053
00:53:16,318 --> 00:53:17,985
[John Fabian] The night
before you go fly,
1054
00:53:17,986 --> 00:53:19,946
you look to the north,
the west, and the south and
1055
00:53:19,947 --> 00:53:22,156
this constant
line of headlights that's
1056
00:53:22,157 --> 00:53:23,742
coming out to the Cape.
1057
00:53:25,285 --> 00:53:27,495
They're coming to watch
you fly and you hope they're
1058
00:53:27,496 --> 00:53:29,456
not coming to see you crash.
1059
00:53:31,291 --> 00:53:35,003
{\an8}[reporter] Your most remarked
upon attribute is you're cool.
1060
00:53:36,213 --> 00:53:37,715
{\an8}Have you ever buckled
under pressure?
1061
00:53:39,883 --> 00:53:40,967
{\an8}- Not that I can think of,
1062
00:53:40,968 --> 00:53:43,636
{\an8}but on the other hand I'm not
sure that I've ever been under
1063
00:53:43,637 --> 00:53:45,681
{\an8}that much pressure in my life.
1064
00:53:46,265 --> 00:53:47,849
{\an8}[reporter] Will there
be no second thoughts
1065
00:53:47,850 --> 00:53:49,810
{\an8}for you personally?
1066
00:53:50,811 --> 00:53:51,769
[Sally Ride] I don't think so.
1067
00:53:51,770 --> 00:53:53,688
I, I guess that when
they close the hatch and
1068
00:53:53,689 --> 00:53:54,939
light the engines,
1069
00:53:54,940 --> 00:53:57,735
I might, I might
change my mind,
1070
00:53:58,152 --> 00:53:59,986
but I'm really
looking forward to it.
1071
00:53:59,987 --> 00:54:01,070
[reporter] I think
that would be too late.
1072
00:54:01,071 --> 00:54:03,239
I think that would be,
very much, too late.
1073
00:54:03,240 --> 00:54:04,950
[Sally Ride] Yes.
1074
00:54:09,371 --> 00:54:13,083
{\an8}[♪ inspirational music playing]
1075
00:54:18,130 --> 00:54:22,342
[♪ inspirational music playing]
1076
00:54:23,177 --> 00:54:24,218
[Lynn Sherr] Good morning.
1077
00:54:24,219 --> 00:54:27,221
{\an8}It is a beautiful day and
indeed this is Sally Ride's
1078
00:54:27,222 --> 00:54:29,056
{\an8}day to make history.
1079
00:54:29,057 --> 00:54:32,226
Plenty of proud people,
particularly female people,
1080
00:54:32,227 --> 00:54:35,814
are on hand to watch America's
first woman go into space.
1081
00:54:37,274 --> 00:54:40,526
There were some half a million
people who showed up at the
1082
00:54:40,527 --> 00:54:43,362
Kennedy Space Center
and the surrounding area to
1083
00:54:43,363 --> 00:54:45,364
watch this happen.
1084
00:54:45,365 --> 00:54:48,744
And many of them brought their
daughters, little daughters,
1085
00:54:49,369 --> 00:54:50,704
sometimes just babies.
1086
00:54:56,502 --> 00:54:58,878
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Sally could
invite 50 friends and family,
1087
00:54:58,879 --> 00:55:02,716
so she invited her friends
from Stanford, tennis friends,
1088
00:55:03,467 --> 00:55:05,259
and Gloria Steinem,
1089
00:55:05,260 --> 00:55:07,513
Jane Fonda, and
she invited me.
1090
00:55:08,722 --> 00:55:10,139
It was just unbelievable.
1091
00:55:10,140 --> 00:55:12,267
I get chills now
just remembering it.
1092
00:55:14,186 --> 00:55:16,729
{\an8}[Sally Ride] On launch
day there was so much
1093
00:55:16,730 --> 00:55:18,398
{\an8}happening around us.
1094
00:55:19,316 --> 00:55:22,151
{\an8}I spent an enormous amount
of effort just trying to stay
1095
00:55:22,152 --> 00:55:26,572
focused because it would
have been way too easy to
1096
00:55:26,573 --> 00:55:28,492
just be lost in the moment.
1097
00:55:31,119 --> 00:55:33,956
[reporter] The crew comes out
led by Commander Bob Crippen.
1098
00:55:36,124 --> 00:55:37,709
And the crew will be
going out to the pad.
1099
00:55:41,004 --> 00:55:42,672
[Mike Mullane] At the pad,
Sally would have looked
1100
00:55:42,673 --> 00:55:44,131
at that vehicle.
1101
00:55:44,132 --> 00:55:47,009
There's a soul-stirring moment
when you're standing there,
1102
00:55:47,010 --> 00:55:49,136
the vapor around it.
1103
00:55:49,137 --> 00:55:51,681
One of those really
moments that, "My God,
1104
00:55:51,682 --> 00:55:53,517
I'm really gonna do this."
1105
00:55:54,142 --> 00:55:58,020
{\an8}[Sally Ride] Looking up and
seeing this huge rocket that
1106
00:55:58,021 --> 00:56:00,566
{\an8}kind of sounds like an animal.
1107
00:56:00,899 --> 00:56:03,859
{\an8}You can kinda hear the gurgling
and the hissing and it sounds
1108
00:56:03,860 --> 00:56:05,653
like it's alive.
1109
00:56:05,654 --> 00:56:09,115
[controller] The countdown
clock at T-minus two hours,
1110
00:56:09,116 --> 00:56:11,243
five minutes, thirty
seconds and counting.
1111
00:56:12,160 --> 00:56:13,787
This is shuttle launch control.
1112
00:56:14,454 --> 00:56:17,707
- Ready for a big day.
- We got pretty day out here.
1113
00:56:17,708 --> 00:56:19,208
- Good looking machine.
1114
00:56:19,209 --> 00:56:22,587
- The commander and pilot will
have their seats adjusted and
1115
00:56:22,588 --> 00:56:25,007
be placed in the proper
position for launch.
1116
00:56:25,882 --> 00:56:26,882
Mission specialist,
1117
00:56:26,883 --> 00:56:30,428
Dr. Sally Ride,
now completing her preparations
1118
00:56:30,429 --> 00:56:32,472
for ingress into the orbiter.
1119
00:56:33,432 --> 00:56:36,601
T minus one hour thirty
minutes and counting.
1120
00:56:36,602 --> 00:56:39,145
All five of our flight
crew are onboard now.
1121
00:56:39,146 --> 00:56:42,524
Okay, we have the
final pilot on the port.
1122
00:56:43,066 --> 00:56:45,152
The hatch's closeout
is complete.
1123
00:56:46,528 --> 00:56:48,404
[Sally Ride] Once we were
inside the space shuttle
1124
00:56:48,405 --> 00:56:53,743
strapped into our seats and
waiting and waiting as the
1125
00:56:53,744 --> 00:56:56,747
countdown got closer
and closer to zero,
1126
00:56:59,666 --> 00:57:02,418
my mind started wandering
and I, to focus it,
1127
00:57:02,419 --> 00:57:05,505
I focused on the
most mundane things.
1128
00:57:07,007 --> 00:57:09,551
Where was my pencil?
1129
00:57:10,260 --> 00:57:11,761
Looks like it's about,
I don't know,
1130
00:57:11,762 --> 00:57:13,095
a couple centimeters misplaced.
1131
00:57:13,096 --> 00:57:15,015
I better move it.
1132
00:57:19,519 --> 00:57:21,896
[controller] T-minus three
minutes, twenty-five seconds.
1133
00:57:21,897 --> 00:57:24,982
The movement check of the
main engines is underway.
1134
00:57:24,983 --> 00:57:28,486
T minus two minutes, fifteen
seconds and counting.
1135
00:57:28,487 --> 00:57:31,406
The main engines have been
moved to start position.
1136
00:57:35,786 --> 00:57:40,331
T-minus ten, nine,
eight, seven, six.
1137
00:57:40,332 --> 00:57:42,041
We go for main engine start.
1138
00:57:42,042 --> 00:57:44,085
We have main engine start.
1139
00:57:44,086 --> 00:57:46,338
And ignition.
1140
00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:48,255
And liftoff.
1141
00:57:48,256 --> 00:57:52,344
Liftoff of STS-7 and America's
first woman astronaut.
1142
00:57:52,928 --> 00:57:55,138
And the shuttle has
cleared the tower.
1143
00:57:57,808 --> 00:57:59,518
- Watch your roll, Challenger.
1144
00:58:00,018 --> 00:58:01,519
Houston now controlling.
1145
00:58:01,520 --> 00:58:04,272
Mission Control confirms
all maneuvers started.
1146
00:58:06,566 --> 00:58:07,984
Twenty seconds.
1147
00:58:08,402 --> 00:58:09,736
Thrust looks good.
1148
00:58:21,415 --> 00:58:22,833
[Sally Ride]
This sure is fun.
1149
00:58:25,585 --> 00:58:27,586
[Sally Ride] For a few
seconds, everyone on the crew,
1150
00:58:27,587 --> 00:58:30,089
we were just totally overcome.
1151
00:58:30,090 --> 00:58:32,550
[controller] Confirmed the
solid rocket booster separation.
1152
00:58:32,551 --> 00:58:35,178
The booster is falling away now.
1153
00:58:35,637 --> 00:58:37,556
[Sally Ride] It was a feeling
really of exhilaration.
1154
00:58:39,808 --> 00:58:42,435
[reporter] The shuttle
Challenger has made it to space
1155
00:58:42,436 --> 00:58:46,022
once again and Sally Ride has
made it to the history books.
1156
00:58:46,356 --> 00:58:48,859
- Gloria, it was so exciting.
1157
00:58:51,778 --> 00:58:53,696
{\an8}[Gloria Steinem] I was
in the grandstand watching
1158
00:58:53,697 --> 00:58:55,740
{\an8}there at the launch.
1159
00:58:55,741 --> 00:58:58,034
{\an8}There were people with tears
draining down their faces.
1160
00:58:58,535 --> 00:58:59,910
People I never
would have expected.
1161
00:58:59,911 --> 00:59:02,496
You know, big
diversity of people.
1162
00:59:02,497 --> 00:59:05,458
And yet they were all
very moved by the human
1163
00:59:05,459 --> 00:59:07,085
audacity of it.
1164
00:59:39,951 --> 00:59:41,285
[Sally Ride] You know,
there really isn't a way to
1165
00:59:41,286 --> 00:59:43,412
{\an8}train for being weightless.
1166
00:59:43,413 --> 00:59:46,999
{\an8}It's so far removed from a
person's everyday experience
1167
00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:50,586
{\an8}that even hearing other
astronauts describe it,
1168
00:59:50,587 --> 00:59:53,632
didn't give me really a clue
of how to prepare for it.
1169
00:59:54,633 --> 00:59:55,925
What I discovered was that,
1170
00:59:55,926 --> 00:59:58,260
although it took an hour
or so to just get used
1171
00:59:58,261 --> 01:00:00,137
to moving around,
1172
01:00:00,138 --> 01:00:02,265
that I adapted to it
actually pretty quickly.
1173
01:00:03,683 --> 01:00:05,184
[controller] Challenger,
Houston got a good picture of
1174
01:00:05,185 --> 01:00:07,436
Norm and Sally now.
1175
01:00:07,437 --> 01:00:09,647
[Bob Crippen] Okay, Houston.
Things are looking good onboard.
1176
01:00:09,648 --> 01:00:12,067
[controller] Roger. We copy
and you all look good to us too.
1177
01:00:13,485 --> 01:00:15,862
[Sally Ride] I just, I
love being weightless.
1178
01:00:16,696 --> 01:00:18,113
I think it's a
feeling of freedom.
1179
01:00:18,114 --> 01:00:19,991
It's, it's really
a neat feeling.
1180
01:00:27,082 --> 01:00:28,375
Good night, Norm.
1181
01:00:29,584 --> 01:00:31,127
[Norman Thagard]
Good night, Sally.
1182
01:00:31,878 --> 01:00:33,213
[Sally Ride] Goodnight.
1183
01:00:39,678 --> 01:00:40,886
When I was a little girl,
1184
01:00:40,887 --> 01:00:43,181
I always dreamed
of flying in space.
1185
01:00:46,226 --> 01:00:49,771
And unbelievably,
that dream came true.
1186
01:00:54,150 --> 01:00:56,653
I can't explain why
I wanted to do it.
1187
01:00:57,487 --> 01:00:59,865
It's just something
that's a part of me.
1188
01:01:02,409 --> 01:01:04,910
I had the chance to
float over to the window and
1189
01:01:04,911 --> 01:01:07,539
look out down at
the Earth below.
1190
01:01:09,374 --> 01:01:12,501
At the absolutely
spectacular view,
1191
01:01:12,502 --> 01:01:16,673
I could see coral reefs
off the coast of Australia.
1192
01:01:18,216 --> 01:01:21,261
I could see glaciers
in the Himalayas.
1193
01:01:25,599 --> 01:01:30,311
And the feeling of seeing
your planet as a planet is
1194
01:01:30,312 --> 01:01:32,814
just an amazing feeling.
1195
01:01:33,982 --> 01:01:37,234
You can look at Earth's
horizon and see this really,
1196
01:01:37,235 --> 01:01:39,654
really thin royal blue line.
1197
01:01:40,447 --> 01:01:42,698
And then you realize that
it's Earth's atmosphere and
1198
01:01:42,699 --> 01:01:45,118
that that's all there is of it.
1199
01:01:45,869 --> 01:01:49,331
And it's about as thick as
the fuzz on a tennis ball.
1200
01:01:49,998 --> 01:01:53,042
It's a totally
different perspective.
1201
01:01:53,043 --> 01:01:56,588
And it makes you appreciate
how fragile our existence is.
1202
01:02:00,634 --> 01:02:02,801
{\an8}[Tam O'Shaughnessy] It really
changed her to see there's no
1203
01:02:02,802 --> 01:02:04,678
{\an8}borders around countries,
1204
01:02:04,679 --> 01:02:07,766
{\an8}just all the imaginary
lines of humanity.
1205
01:02:10,268 --> 01:02:11,644
[Sally Ride] From
that perspective,
1206
01:02:11,645 --> 01:02:14,481
all the tribal fears
we hold on to about race,
1207
01:02:15,607 --> 01:02:21,196
gender, nationality,
who we love, all the
1208
01:02:21,696 --> 01:02:25,032
arbitrary restrictions
we place on ourselves and
1209
01:02:25,033 --> 01:02:27,911
on each other,
they mean nothing.
1210
01:02:32,123 --> 01:02:35,001
[John Fabian] Sally was
having the time of her life.
1211
01:02:36,586 --> 01:02:39,213
And at the same time
probably was concerned about
1212
01:02:39,214 --> 01:02:40,674
what was gonna happen next.
1213
01:02:49,808 --> 01:02:51,850
[controller] This
is shuttle control.
1214
01:02:51,851 --> 01:02:55,229
Challenger entered the
sensible atmosphere at
1215
01:02:55,230 --> 01:02:56,982
approximately 400,000 feet.
1216
01:03:01,486 --> 01:03:03,946
[Bob Crippen] Houston,
Challenger, loud and clear.
1217
01:03:03,947 --> 01:03:05,407
Nice and smooth
all the way down.
1218
01:03:06,282 --> 01:03:07,701
[controller] Real good, Crip.
1219
01:03:10,996 --> 01:03:12,204
[Bob Crippen]
I'll say it once more.
1220
01:03:12,205 --> 01:03:14,040
What a way to come
to California.
1221
01:03:16,918 --> 01:03:19,421
[controller] Do, do it again,
just anytime.
1222
01:03:32,642 --> 01:03:34,977
[Lynn Sherr] Sally's foot
landed and they were all a
1223
01:03:34,978 --> 01:03:37,271
little wobbly 'cause
they had been in microgravity
1224
01:03:37,272 --> 01:03:39,149
for seven days.
1225
01:03:41,651 --> 01:03:43,445
Steve is there to meet her.
1226
01:03:45,697 --> 01:03:47,239
[Sally Ride] But the
moment we landed,
1227
01:03:47,240 --> 01:03:49,324
I pretty much came face
to face with just a flurry
1228
01:03:49,325 --> 01:03:51,077
of media activity.
1229
01:03:51,870 --> 01:03:53,246
Fasten your seatbelt.
1230
01:03:54,372 --> 01:03:56,916
- On the ground,
someone hands Sally a bouquet.
1231
01:03:58,501 --> 01:04:01,046
She gives it back,
and it blows up.
1232
01:04:04,632 --> 01:04:05,799
Sally was just saying,
1233
01:04:05,800 --> 01:04:08,136
I'm not a girl wife,
I'm a crew member.
1234
01:04:09,304 --> 01:04:11,221
- Welcome home, STS-7.
1235
01:04:11,222 --> 01:04:12,765
[Kathy Sullivan] You
are on all the time.
1236
01:04:12,766 --> 01:04:14,641
Anyone who can
catch you doing something
1237
01:04:14,642 --> 01:04:15,809
a little unseemly,
1238
01:04:15,810 --> 01:04:18,479
they see an opportunity
and taking advantage of
1239
01:04:18,480 --> 01:04:20,315
something you did
for their headline.
1240
01:04:20,899 --> 01:04:23,193
- We were Sally and
the four other guys.
1241
01:04:23,526 --> 01:04:25,069
The press wasn't
paying attention to us.
1242
01:04:25,070 --> 01:04:26,779
We knew the story.
1243
01:04:26,780 --> 01:04:28,490
We knew the story
was Sally Ride.
1244
01:04:29,449 --> 01:04:31,743
[Sally Ride] After my flight,
everybody wanted a piece of me.
1245
01:04:32,327 --> 01:04:35,205
- She was the most famous
person on Earth for a while.
1246
01:04:38,208 --> 01:04:40,292
[Sally Ride] NASA spent no
time preparing me for what
1247
01:04:40,293 --> 01:04:42,754
I was going to encounter from
the media when I got back.
1248
01:04:43,546 --> 01:04:44,963
Quite a surprise.
1249
01:04:44,964 --> 01:04:46,840
[reporter] Dr. Sally Ride and
the men in the crew are at the
1250
01:04:46,841 --> 01:04:49,094
White House today for luncheon
hosted by President Reagan.
1251
01:04:49,928 --> 01:04:52,639
[President Reagan]
This is Dr. Sally Ride Day.
1252
01:04:53,014 --> 01:04:54,640
[announcer] Throwing out
the first ball for tonight's
1253
01:04:54,641 --> 01:04:56,350
World Series game.
1254
01:04:56,351 --> 01:04:57,684
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
She would go give talks,
1255
01:04:57,685 --> 01:04:59,478
go to schools,
go to corporations.
1256
01:04:59,479 --> 01:05:01,523
It was just a madhouse.
1257
01:05:12,367 --> 01:05:14,409
[Sally Ride] I'd meet women
that would start crying when
1258
01:05:14,410 --> 01:05:15,577
they met me,
1259
01:05:15,578 --> 01:05:17,622
and it was really
overwhelming to me.
1260
01:05:20,208 --> 01:05:21,750
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] It
just took a lot out of her and
1261
01:05:21,751 --> 01:05:23,627
she was starting
to feel anxious.
1262
01:05:23,628 --> 01:05:25,420
- Sally, like it or not,
1263
01:05:25,421 --> 01:05:27,131
you're a role model
for a lot of young women
1264
01:05:27,132 --> 01:05:28,382
{\an8}across the country.
1265
01:05:28,383 --> 01:05:31,051
{\an8}How uncomfortable does,
does that make you feel?
1266
01:05:31,052 --> 01:05:33,720
{\an8}- Oh, I think it's important,
um, that, that the,
1267
01:05:33,721 --> 01:05:36,515
the girls growing up and the
young women have a role model.
1268
01:05:36,516 --> 01:05:38,935
So, you know, I think
it's appropriate.
1269
01:05:39,686 --> 01:05:42,604
- She decided to see a therapist
and she'd never considered that
1270
01:05:42,605 --> 01:05:44,107
before her entire life.
1271
01:05:45,275 --> 01:05:46,525
[Bob Crippen] She was a star,
1272
01:05:46,526 --> 01:05:48,735
but she really tried
to hide from it as much
1273
01:05:48,736 --> 01:05:50,238
as she could.
1274
01:05:50,738 --> 01:05:53,448
They said, "Crip, we need
you and Sally to go out and
1275
01:05:53,449 --> 01:05:55,326
be on The Bob Hope Show.
1276
01:05:55,952 --> 01:05:58,120
I'm a military guy and
when I get an assignment,
1277
01:05:58,121 --> 01:06:01,249
I go do it.
I expected she would as well.
1278
01:06:01,791 --> 01:06:04,960
[Lynn Sherr] Bob Hope did
a lot of gags about women.
1279
01:06:04,961 --> 01:06:06,879
- You know, this isn't
such a bad part.
1280
01:06:06,880 --> 01:06:08,505
[Lynn Sherr] Sally didn't
wanna be part of it.
1281
01:06:08,506 --> 01:06:10,258
Then she disappeared.
1282
01:06:15,555 --> 01:06:19,183
- Being first isn't
entirely about the joy of,
1283
01:06:19,184 --> 01:06:20,767
you know, the flight.
1284
01:06:20,768 --> 01:06:22,770
It's also about the
obligations that come with it.
1285
01:06:23,563 --> 01:06:25,773
- Captain Robert Crippen
right here.
1286
01:06:26,316 --> 01:06:27,816
[Steve Hawley] I didn't
think it was right to accept
1287
01:06:27,817 --> 01:06:31,613
the good stuff but not be
willing to do the tough stuff.
1288
01:06:32,655 --> 01:06:35,199
I didn't know where
she was but that was how
1289
01:06:35,200 --> 01:06:36,992
she dealt with it.
1290
01:06:36,993 --> 01:06:38,494
She just left.
1291
01:06:44,167 --> 01:06:46,377
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Sally came to Atlanta.
1292
01:06:46,711 --> 01:06:49,839
At the time, I was living there
and I was studying biology.
1293
01:06:53,593 --> 01:06:56,428
We had dinner and Sally
and I sat at a little table
1294
01:06:56,429 --> 01:06:58,056
and caught up.
1295
01:06:58,681 --> 01:07:00,265
Sally and I, even
when we were kids,
1296
01:07:00,266 --> 01:07:02,268
we were always excited
to see each other.
1297
01:07:02,644 --> 01:07:04,854
There was always kind
of a good chemistry.
1298
01:07:06,898 --> 01:07:09,775
After that, anytime she
was coming to Atlanta to do
1299
01:07:09,776 --> 01:07:13,112
something, she'd call me and
we started getting together.
1300
01:07:14,030 --> 01:07:16,616
We'd run to the park,
take tennis lessons,
1301
01:07:17,825 --> 01:07:19,702
go to pizza parlors, whatever.
1302
01:07:20,662 --> 01:07:23,205
That we had seen each
other eight or nine times in
1303
01:07:23,206 --> 01:07:24,999
a couple of months.
1304
01:07:28,169 --> 01:07:31,714
So this one day in
1985 in the spring,
1305
01:07:32,882 --> 01:07:35,051
we came back to my apartment.
1306
01:07:36,177 --> 01:07:38,972
I had a Cocker Spaniel, Annie,
1307
01:07:40,181 --> 01:07:43,809
and I bent over to
say hi to Annie,
1308
01:07:43,810 --> 01:07:46,896
and I noticed a
hand on my lower back.
1309
01:07:48,189 --> 01:07:51,191
And it felt different,
like your friends don't
1310
01:07:51,192 --> 01:07:52,776
usually do that.
1311
01:07:52,777 --> 01:07:56,238
And, you know, I
turned to look at Sally.
1312
01:07:56,239 --> 01:07:57,906
She just had this dreamy,
1313
01:07:57,907 --> 01:08:00,994
"in love" look in,
in her face, in her eyes.
1314
01:08:05,707 --> 01:08:06,915
In that moment,
1315
01:08:06,916 --> 01:08:09,167
I sort of realized that
I kinda felt the same,
1316
01:08:09,168 --> 01:08:11,254
but it was kind of,
I was surprised.
1317
01:08:12,505 --> 01:08:14,673
And I remember telling
Sally, I just said,
1318
01:08:14,674 --> 01:08:16,968
"Oh, boy.
We're in trouble."
1319
01:08:17,343 --> 01:08:18,927
And she said,
1320
01:08:18,928 --> 01:08:21,596
"We don't have to be,
we don't have to do this."
1321
01:08:21,597 --> 01:08:25,310
And then we kissed,
and it was all over.
1322
01:08:34,110 --> 01:08:37,697
[♪ uplifting music playing]
1323
01:08:44,078 --> 01:08:46,955
[♪ uplifting music playing]
1324
01:08:46,956 --> 01:08:48,707
And I asked her,
1325
01:08:48,708 --> 01:08:50,793
"You're married.
What are we doing?"
1326
01:08:53,296 --> 01:08:54,504
Sally would, you know,
1327
01:08:54,505 --> 01:08:57,299
"I'm, I'm not in
love with him, um,
1328
01:08:57,300 --> 01:08:59,052
I'm in love with you."
1329
01:09:01,012 --> 01:09:01,970
[Steve Hawley]
She was, you know,
1330
01:09:01,971 --> 01:09:03,764
frequently doing her
own thing, you know,
1331
01:09:03,765 --> 01:09:05,474
even before we were married.
1332
01:09:05,475 --> 01:09:08,436
I was working in Florida, so
I was down there all week.
1333
01:09:09,562 --> 01:09:10,896
You know, I would
call her up and say,
1334
01:09:10,897 --> 01:09:12,230
"We should be, you know,
1335
01:09:12,231 --> 01:09:13,982
getting in 7:00,
Friday night."
1336
01:09:13,983 --> 01:09:15,776
Rather than say,
"Good, because, you know,
1337
01:09:15,777 --> 01:09:17,194
I missed you,"
1338
01:09:17,195 --> 01:09:18,195
she would say,
1339
01:09:18,196 --> 01:09:21,532
"Well, I'm gonna be out of town.
I'm going to California."
1340
01:09:23,326 --> 01:09:24,534
- Maybe I have no
business asking.
1341
01:09:24,535 --> 01:09:25,994
Do you think about children?
1342
01:09:25,995 --> 01:09:27,454
[Sally Ride] Think
about it sometimes,
1343
01:09:27,455 --> 01:09:28,497
but I think you're right.
1344
01:09:28,498 --> 01:09:29,748
You have no business asking.
1345
01:09:29,749 --> 01:09:31,333
- All right.
- We've, uh, we've elected
1346
01:09:31,334 --> 01:09:33,419
not to, not to answer
personal questions.
1347
01:09:34,796 --> 01:09:36,672
[Steve Hawley] She was
always doing her own thing.
1348
01:09:37,340 --> 01:09:41,844
So the fact that she was
gone a lot wasn't unusual.
1349
01:09:43,679 --> 01:09:46,099
I didn't feel like we
were life partners.
1350
01:09:46,724 --> 01:09:48,643
We were more like roommates.
1351
01:09:50,228 --> 01:09:54,398
- She would just tell Steve, uh,
"You know, I'll be gone."
1352
01:09:54,399 --> 01:09:56,526
And, and they didn't
really talk about it.
1353
01:09:57,068 --> 01:10:00,028
But they were still married,
so she had to be careful.
1354
01:10:00,029 --> 01:10:02,448
It was more spur
of the moment.
1355
01:10:04,242 --> 01:10:05,409
Whenever the phone rang,
1356
01:10:05,410 --> 01:10:06,827
my heart would
start beating and,
1357
01:10:06,828 --> 01:10:09,163
you know, run
to the old phone.
1358
01:10:10,415 --> 01:10:12,999
I wanted to know
everything about her,
1359
01:10:13,000 --> 01:10:16,254
her deepest secrets,
you know, every recess.
1360
01:10:18,047 --> 01:10:22,342
Sally would drive from
Houston in her red Fiero as
1361
01:10:22,343 --> 01:10:24,721
often as she could.
1362
01:10:25,930 --> 01:10:28,849
One time, she
came on a T-38.
1363
01:10:28,850 --> 01:10:32,395
I watched this little
mosquito jet come in and land.
1364
01:10:33,855 --> 01:10:35,648
[overlapping chatter]
1365
01:10:38,401 --> 01:10:40,694
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] We did have
the long distance relationship.
1366
01:10:40,695 --> 01:10:41,987
And so we just had, you know,
1367
01:10:41,988 --> 01:10:45,699
weeks by ourselves just
living our, our separate lives.
1368
01:10:45,700 --> 01:10:48,035
And then we get together
and it was just so intense.
1369
01:10:59,422 --> 01:11:03,300
I took her to my lab at
Georgia State University and
1370
01:11:03,301 --> 01:11:05,803
had her look
through the microscope.
1371
01:11:06,137 --> 01:11:09,432
I was analyzing samples
of different types of fungi.
1372
01:11:11,392 --> 01:11:13,143
They're actually fascinating.
1373
01:11:13,144 --> 01:11:16,314
Like penicillium, it
looks like a tiny plant,
1374
01:11:16,898 --> 01:11:19,275
but it's microscopic.
1375
01:11:20,651 --> 01:11:23,069
I was down there alone
with Sally in this little
1376
01:11:23,070 --> 01:11:25,615
cave of a lab.
1377
01:11:26,991 --> 01:11:29,577
I just felt like hugging
and kissing Sally.
1378
01:11:30,495 --> 01:11:33,580
And so I start moving towards
her and she, you know,
1379
01:11:33,581 --> 01:11:36,166
she's just worried that
somebody might come in,
1380
01:11:36,167 --> 01:11:37,167
but I just couldn't help.
1381
01:11:37,168 --> 01:11:40,462
I just kept walking towards
her and she's like backing up.
1382
01:11:40,463 --> 01:11:42,047
"Tam, don't. You know,
come on. Come on."
1383
01:11:42,048 --> 01:11:45,176
You know, I'm like
just going, going.
1384
01:11:58,231 --> 01:11:59,648
I love doing that to her.
1385
01:11:59,649 --> 01:12:01,608
I would do that in elevators.
1386
01:12:01,609 --> 01:12:03,401
If we were swimming
in the ocean,
1387
01:12:03,402 --> 01:12:06,572
I'd dive under and grab
her feet or something.
1388
01:12:07,490 --> 01:12:10,075
I just love, kind of, making
her feel uncomfortable,
1389
01:12:10,076 --> 01:12:11,993
but in a fun way.
1390
01:12:11,994 --> 01:12:14,038
It was a pleasure.
1391
01:12:22,630 --> 01:12:24,840
My birthday is January 27th.
1392
01:12:24,841 --> 01:12:28,677
So Sally had flown to
Atlanta for a long weekend
1393
01:12:28,678 --> 01:12:30,179
for us to be together.
1394
01:12:31,472 --> 01:12:35,810
And she was flying home on
January 28th back to Houston.
1395
01:12:37,770 --> 01:12:39,980
[Sally Ride] I was on
a commercial airliner.
1396
01:12:39,981 --> 01:12:42,607
The pilot made an
announcement to the passengers
1397
01:12:42,608 --> 01:12:44,819
saying that there
had been an accident.
1398
01:12:46,070 --> 01:12:49,447
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Sally
went up to the pilots cabin and
1399
01:12:49,448 --> 01:12:52,285
asked if she could come
in to listen to the news.
1400
01:12:53,661 --> 01:12:57,248
- Five, four, three, two, one.
1401
01:12:58,249 --> 01:12:59,791
[controller] And lift off.
1402
01:12:59,792 --> 01:13:03,044
Lift off of the 25th Space
Shuttle mission and it has
1403
01:13:03,045 --> 01:13:04,714
cleared the tower.
1404
01:13:05,464 --> 01:13:08,675
- This is Challenger,
roll program.
1405
01:13:08,676 --> 01:13:10,510
- Roger Roll, Challenger.
1406
01:13:10,511 --> 01:13:12,763
Challenger, go and throttle up.
1407
01:13:13,681 --> 01:13:15,516
Roger, going throttle up.
1408
01:13:29,363 --> 01:13:32,491
Flight, JC. We've had, uh,
negative conduct, lost filming.
1409
01:13:37,997 --> 01:13:39,122
- Flight, FIDO.
- Go ahead.
1410
01:13:39,123 --> 01:13:41,417
- RSL reports vehicle exploded.
1411
01:13:44,003 --> 01:13:45,629
This is Mission Control Houston.
1412
01:13:45,630 --> 01:13:48,174
We have no additional
word at this time.
1413
01:13:53,554 --> 01:13:56,349
[Mike Mullane] As soon as I saw
it, I knew the crew was lost.
1414
01:13:59,310 --> 01:14:04,230
Judy was sitting in the center
seat between the pilot and
1415
01:14:04,231 --> 01:14:05,733
the co-pilot.
1416
01:14:07,318 --> 01:14:10,947
Sally also sat in the
center seat on her flight.
1417
01:14:12,573 --> 01:14:14,741
[reporter] 36-year-old
mission specialist,
1418
01:14:14,742 --> 01:14:16,576
Judy Resnik, was
a shuttle veteran,
1419
01:14:16,577 --> 01:14:18,955
her assignment to operate
the shuttle's mechanical arm.
1420
01:14:20,706 --> 01:14:23,667
{\an8}[Sally Ride] These were people
I'd known for eight years.
1421
01:14:23,668 --> 01:14:25,544
{\an8}I'd worked with them every day.
1422
01:14:26,087 --> 01:14:28,088
{\an8}I'd, you know, gone to
dinner at their houses,
1423
01:14:28,089 --> 01:14:30,091
so they were very,
very close friends.
1424
01:14:31,425 --> 01:14:33,510
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Sally was heartbroken.
1425
01:14:33,511 --> 01:14:39,558
She was just, just white as a
sheet in the face and just sad.
1426
01:14:40,851 --> 01:14:43,813
And Judy was a big
part of that reason.
1427
01:14:46,774 --> 01:14:49,025
- And it was especially
tragic to later find out
1428
01:14:49,026 --> 01:14:52,238
there had been a long
history of near misses.
1429
01:14:54,407 --> 01:14:56,491
[reporter] The special panel
named by President Reagan to
1430
01:14:56,492 --> 01:14:59,619
investigate last week's Space
Shuttle disaster began its work
1431
01:14:59,620 --> 01:15:01,414
in Washington today.
1432
01:15:01,956 --> 01:15:04,582
- The 12-member panel
includes Neil Armstrong,
1433
01:15:04,583 --> 01:15:07,252
the first man on the moon,
and Sally Ride,
1434
01:15:07,253 --> 01:15:09,213
the first American
woman in space.
1435
01:15:10,172 --> 01:15:11,881
{\an8}[Judge] Commission,
come to order, please.
1436
01:15:11,882 --> 01:15:13,675
{\an8}[clerk] Are you ready?
1437
01:15:13,676 --> 01:15:15,969
{\an8}Do you swear the
testimony that you shall give
1438
01:15:15,970 --> 01:15:17,387
{\an8}to be the truth,
the whole truth,
1439
01:15:17,388 --> 01:15:18,888
{\an8}and nothing but the truth,
so help me God.
1440
01:15:18,889 --> 01:15:20,557
{\an8}- I do.
1441
01:15:20,558 --> 01:15:21,975
{\an8}[Sally Ride] Have you
had a chance to go back and
1442
01:15:21,976 --> 01:15:25,061
{\an8}look at the quality assurance
records and verify that, uh,
1443
01:15:25,062 --> 01:15:27,939
{\an8}that those were signed off
properly and appropriately?
1444
01:15:27,940 --> 01:15:29,232
{\an8}- That is in process.
1445
01:15:29,233 --> 01:15:31,443
{\an8}That is in process now.
1446
01:15:31,444 --> 01:15:33,612
{\an8}[Sally Ride] It was a
very, very difficult time.
1447
01:15:34,155 --> 01:15:37,824
{\an8}I was just going from day to
day and just grinding through
1448
01:15:37,825 --> 01:15:39,493
{\an8}all the stuff that we
had to grind through.
1449
01:15:40,411 --> 01:15:42,746
{\an8}The engineers' main
problem was they didn't have
1450
01:15:42,747 --> 01:15:44,914
{\an8}the proof that it was safe.
1451
01:15:44,915 --> 01:15:46,458
{\an8}- No.
- Did you think you had the
1452
01:15:46,459 --> 01:15:48,043
{\an8}database to show
that it was safe...
1453
01:15:48,044 --> 01:15:49,335
{\an8}- No.
- In those temperatures?
1454
01:15:49,336 --> 01:15:53,089
{\an8}- Well, all, all I did
was recite the, uh,
1455
01:15:53,090 --> 01:15:55,926
{\an8}data that we had,
uh, available to us.
1456
01:15:56,719 --> 01:15:58,053
{\an8}- That's what Dr. Ride
is pointing out.
1457
01:15:58,054 --> 01:15:59,345
{\an8}They say it's not conclusive.
1458
01:15:59,346 --> 01:16:01,014
{\an8}They don't say,
"We think it's safe."
1459
01:16:01,015 --> 01:16:03,058
{\an8}They say the data
is not conclusive.
1460
01:16:03,059 --> 01:16:05,478
{\an8}And you say the, the data
is conclusive to you.
1461
01:16:08,439 --> 01:16:10,398
{\an8}[Tam O’Shaughnessy] Sally
asked the tough questions and
1462
01:16:10,399 --> 01:16:13,277
{\an8}just held NASA leadership,
you know, to the fire.
1463
01:16:14,570 --> 01:16:19,240
{\an8}And then an engineer at NASA
passing in the hall handed
1464
01:16:19,241 --> 01:16:22,952
{\an8}Sally the data sheet that
showed NASA knew the rubber
1465
01:16:22,953 --> 01:16:26,289
O-rings were only
resilient above temperatures
1466
01:16:26,290 --> 01:16:29,584
of 50 degrees and
Challenger launched
1467
01:16:29,585 --> 01:16:31,712
at 36 degrees.
1468
01:16:32,463 --> 01:16:35,882
And NASA tried to hide
the fact that they knew.
1469
01:16:35,883 --> 01:16:38,093
[Sally Ride] Do you think that
there should be a launch commit
1470
01:16:38,094 --> 01:16:40,221
{\an8}criteria on the
seals or on the joint...
1471
01:16:40,679 --> 01:16:41,971
{\an8}- I don't have.
1472
01:16:41,972 --> 01:16:43,306
{\an8}- ...as far as temperature goes?
1473
01:16:43,307 --> 01:16:45,559
{\an8}- I would prefer to reserve
judgment on that until we, uh,
1474
01:16:45,893 --> 01:16:48,104
{\an8}determine whether
there should be or not.
1475
01:16:48,813 --> 01:16:49,896
{\an8}I have not.
1476
01:16:49,897 --> 01:16:51,315
{\an8}[Sally Ride] I guess
that's my point.
1477
01:16:51,732 --> 01:16:52,690
{\an8}There, there wasn't one,
1478
01:16:52,691 --> 01:16:54,400
{\an8}but it doesn't appear
as though you have data to
1479
01:16:54,401 --> 01:16:55,735
{\an8}know whether
there should be one or not,
1480
01:16:55,736 --> 01:16:57,988
{\an8}and if there should be one,
what it should be?
1481
01:16:59,031 --> 01:17:00,991
{\an8}- Uh, that is a
correct statement.
1482
01:17:05,287 --> 01:17:08,289
{\an8}[Sally Ride] Astronauts
have a real trust and faith
1483
01:17:08,290 --> 01:17:11,877
{\an8}in NASA to minimize the
risks of flying in space.
1484
01:17:13,337 --> 01:17:16,549
{\an8}And it became very clear that
that system really had failed.
1485
01:17:17,716 --> 01:17:20,343
{\an8}[reporter] Sally Ride spoke
out for the first time on her
1486
01:17:20,344 --> 01:17:22,387
personal reaction to
the accident that has
1487
01:17:22,388 --> 01:17:24,556
halted space flight.
1488
01:17:24,557 --> 01:17:25,974
- I was disturbed.
1489
01:17:25,975 --> 01:17:28,269
I am not ready
to fly again now.
1490
01:17:29,311 --> 01:17:31,146
{\an8}Um, I think that there
are very few astronauts
1491
01:17:31,147 --> 01:17:32,690
{\an8}who are ready
to fly again now.
1492
01:17:34,233 --> 01:17:35,567
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] It
broke Sally's heart because
1493
01:17:35,568 --> 01:17:37,820
NASA wasn't quite what
she thought it was.
1494
01:17:39,321 --> 01:17:41,365
{\an8}[Lynn Sherr] That was the
beginning of the end for her.
1495
01:17:44,285 --> 01:17:46,035
[reporter] Today, the first
American woman in space has
1496
01:17:46,036 --> 01:17:47,830
resigned from the space agency.
1497
01:17:48,372 --> 01:17:52,041
She says NASA's shortcomings
became "starkly" apparent after
1498
01:17:52,042 --> 01:17:54,003
last year's Challenger disaster.
1499
01:17:54,920 --> 01:17:56,880
[anchor] And this announcement
comes just a few weeks after
1500
01:17:56,881 --> 01:17:58,131
Ride and her husband,
1501
01:17:58,132 --> 01:18:00,092
astronaut Steve Hawley,
were divorced.
1502
01:18:02,636 --> 01:18:04,262
[Steve Hawley] When she
told me she didn't wanna
1503
01:18:04,263 --> 01:18:05,513
be married anymore,
1504
01:18:05,514 --> 01:18:08,349
it was an odd
combination of surprise and
1505
01:18:08,350 --> 01:18:09,517
a bit of relief.
1506
01:18:09,518 --> 01:18:13,730
I'm not sure how long I would
have been able to continue, um,
1507
01:18:13,731 --> 01:18:17,234
in the kind of
relationship we had.
1508
01:18:19,528 --> 01:18:21,863
Sally, she didn't wanna
be with NASA anymore and
1509
01:18:21,864 --> 01:18:23,991
I did wanna be with NASA.
1510
01:18:24,617 --> 01:18:25,867
So I initially thought, "Okay.
1511
01:18:25,868 --> 01:18:28,704
Well, this is because we don't
have a common future anymore."
1512
01:18:29,330 --> 01:18:31,916
But, of course, I learned
later it was more than that.
1513
01:18:33,876 --> 01:18:36,211
At some point, Bear's
husband called me.
1514
01:18:36,212 --> 01:18:41,633
He was dealing with the
fact that Bear was gay and
1515
01:18:41,634 --> 01:18:44,595
he wanted to know if I
knew that Sally was gay.
1516
01:18:46,931 --> 01:18:48,974
I suspected, but I didn't know.
1517
01:18:49,808 --> 01:18:52,518
And I think it was
his phone call that said,
1518
01:18:52,519 --> 01:18:54,605
"Okay. Yeah, I guess
it's true."
1519
01:18:54,730 --> 01:18:57,107
And I still didn't know
at that point, you know,
1520
01:18:57,608 --> 01:19:00,027
how long it had been going on.
1521
01:19:02,821 --> 01:19:06,866
Sally knew what she wanted
and she would try to get it
1522
01:19:06,867 --> 01:19:08,911
or do it.
1523
01:19:09,078 --> 01:19:11,829
The rules, you know,
might be an inconvenience,
1524
01:19:11,830 --> 01:19:14,124
but we're not, we're
not that deterrent.
1525
01:19:15,668 --> 01:19:17,336
And that was just
the way she was.
1526
01:19:22,466 --> 01:19:24,467
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] After
NASA, Sally and I wanted to be
1527
01:19:24,468 --> 01:19:28,221
together, but Sally wanted to
look for a university position
1528
01:19:28,222 --> 01:19:32,059
and UCSD offered
her a great package.
1529
01:19:33,352 --> 01:19:35,186
At that time, I was
getting ready to start a
1530
01:19:35,187 --> 01:19:38,107
PhD program in Atlanta.
1531
01:19:38,607 --> 01:19:41,901
We just decided to live
through a few more years,
1532
01:19:41,902 --> 01:19:45,406
hopefully only three,
of long distance.
1533
01:19:47,032 --> 01:19:50,702
But a few weeks later,
Sally called me and just said,
1534
01:19:50,703 --> 01:19:53,162
"I can't do long
distance anymore.
1535
01:19:53,163 --> 01:19:55,708
I wanna live with
you full-time."
1536
01:19:56,458 --> 01:19:57,875
I had to think about it.
1537
01:19:57,876 --> 01:20:01,129
I was very excited
about my PhD program,
1538
01:20:01,130 --> 01:20:04,174
but I also was very
excited about Sally.
1539
01:20:08,971 --> 01:20:12,266
So I moved into Sally's
townhouse in La Jolla.
1540
01:20:18,355 --> 01:20:21,150
It was huge to actually
start living together.
1541
01:20:28,782 --> 01:20:32,076
Just every day waking up
together and going hiking in
1542
01:20:32,077 --> 01:20:35,664
the hills, we just
had so much fun.
1543
01:20:38,375 --> 01:20:41,169
Somehow, our relationship
felt smooth through
1544
01:20:41,170 --> 01:20:43,339
these big moments.
1545
01:20:46,091 --> 01:20:50,346
Sally and I both loved
science, but girls were,
1546
01:20:50,846 --> 01:20:54,390
and still are today, less
encouraged to become scientists
1547
01:20:54,391 --> 01:20:56,309
and engineers.
1548
01:20:56,310 --> 01:20:58,811
We just thought if more little
girls grew up with an interest
1549
01:20:58,812 --> 01:21:02,191
in science like we did, the
world would be a better place.
1550
01:21:03,984 --> 01:21:07,279
So we started the company,
Sally Ride Science, in 2001.
1551
01:21:08,447 --> 01:21:12,117
We wanted to shift the culture
about women and girls in STEM.
1552
01:21:13,243 --> 01:21:15,370
- We're trying to create
programs, activities,
1553
01:21:15,371 --> 01:21:17,998
competitions to capture
their enthusiasm.
1554
01:21:19,124 --> 01:21:20,708
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Sally wanted to do everything
1555
01:21:20,709 --> 01:21:22,753
in her power to
make it successful.
1556
01:21:23,712 --> 01:21:26,798
She became much more
open to talk to more people,
1557
01:21:26,799 --> 01:21:28,425
talk to kids.
1558
01:21:28,842 --> 01:21:32,261
Sally Ride Science was
hugely successful and we
1559
01:21:32,262 --> 01:21:34,264
had big sponsorships.
1560
01:21:34,640 --> 01:21:37,141
- I need to start
by thanking ExxonMobil.
1561
01:21:37,142 --> 01:21:39,936
- But Sally was worried
about how open to be
1562
01:21:39,937 --> 01:21:42,231
about our relationship.
1563
01:21:43,399 --> 01:21:47,068
If the sponsors knew that two
women were running the company
1564
01:21:47,069 --> 01:21:50,823
and the two women
were lesbos, you know,
1565
01:21:52,157 --> 01:21:54,868
she worried that might
ruin our company.
1566
01:21:56,745 --> 01:21:59,498
People leak information
and it just happens.
1567
01:22:00,457 --> 01:22:02,209
Stuff gets out there.
1568
01:22:02,793 --> 01:22:06,088
Sally was very cautious of
the press for that reason.
1569
01:22:06,839 --> 01:22:08,589
- I started, uh,
Sally Ride Science about eight
1570
01:22:08,590 --> 01:22:11,927
years ago with, uh, with
Karen and Tam, as you heard.
1571
01:22:12,928 --> 01:22:14,470
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] When
she was married to Steve,
1572
01:22:14,471 --> 01:22:19,017
she would be seen kissing him
and holding his hand in public.
1573
01:22:20,853 --> 01:22:23,062
Those were things that
she did not feel comfortable
1574
01:22:23,063 --> 01:22:24,898
with doing with me.
1575
01:22:26,650 --> 01:22:29,360
You have to hold yourself back
when you're with somebody that
1576
01:22:29,361 --> 01:22:31,447
you love dearly.
1577
01:22:31,905 --> 01:22:33,781
And you wanna sit
right next to 'em.
1578
01:22:33,782 --> 01:22:35,158
You wanna hold their hand.
1579
01:22:35,159 --> 01:22:36,742
You wanna touch their face.
1580
01:22:36,743 --> 01:22:38,996
You wanna kiss them.
1581
01:22:39,496 --> 01:22:43,041
It's the fear factor of
being gay, being who you are,
1582
01:22:43,750 --> 01:22:46,879
affect your work, your
opportunities, our company.
1583
01:22:47,713 --> 01:22:51,675
So, the world is
not always kind.
1584
01:23:00,100 --> 01:23:02,727
Sally was afraid of
what people would think,
1585
01:23:02,728 --> 01:23:05,481
especially her
colleagues, her friends,
1586
01:23:06,899 --> 01:23:09,818
how that would change how
they thought about her.
1587
01:23:10,736 --> 01:23:13,529
But I wanted them to
know we were a couple.
1588
01:23:13,530 --> 01:23:16,074
I didn't wanna have
that awkward feeling.
1589
01:23:17,409 --> 01:23:19,620
I wanted the
relationship validated.
1590
01:23:21,622 --> 01:23:24,582
Being secret about our
love for each other and
1591
01:23:24,583 --> 01:23:26,584
our life together,
1592
01:23:26,585 --> 01:23:29,087
it took more of
a toll on me than Sally.
1593
01:23:31,882 --> 01:23:34,259
It just ate at me.
1594
01:23:37,638 --> 01:23:39,222
I love these pictures.
1595
01:23:39,223 --> 01:23:42,725
Uh, my good friend took
these just really sweet
1596
01:23:42,726 --> 01:23:44,686
pictures of Sally and I.
1597
01:23:45,979 --> 01:23:48,356
- You know, a lot of couples
when they first started dating,
1598
01:23:48,357 --> 01:23:50,525
they have like a lot of
pictures that they take of each
1599
01:23:50,526 --> 01:23:52,109
other during that time.
1600
01:23:52,110 --> 01:23:54,070
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
Yeah. We never did that.
1601
01:23:54,071 --> 01:23:56,030
I mean, I wish I had more
pictures of all these great
1602
01:23:56,031 --> 01:23:58,367
moments in our, our lives.
1603
01:24:04,414 --> 01:24:08,793
When I was in my early 20s,
um, throughout my 20s,
1604
01:24:08,794 --> 01:24:11,880
I was more open than
I was with Sally.
1605
01:24:13,173 --> 01:24:15,925
I was always open and
honest with my closest friends,
1606
01:24:15,926 --> 01:24:17,718
my family.
1607
01:24:17,719 --> 01:24:20,721
And there was like this
little hole in me where I
1608
01:24:20,722 --> 01:24:24,642
didn't like having to
kind of cover that part of
1609
01:24:24,643 --> 01:24:26,687
who I was.
1610
01:24:28,188 --> 01:24:29,564
That just crushed me.
1611
01:24:29,565 --> 01:24:32,234
It broke my heart.
I shut down.
1612
01:24:33,652 --> 01:24:36,905
I loved her to death,
but for a few months,
1613
01:24:37,406 --> 01:24:39,825
I seriously thought
about leaving Sally.
1614
01:24:41,618 --> 01:24:44,288
I took a trip to Atlanta
to just kind of get away.
1615
01:24:45,330 --> 01:24:49,001
And I thought really hard
about having another life.
1616
01:24:49,918 --> 01:24:52,879
What I'd do, how it would
be to not be around Sally.
1617
01:24:54,673 --> 01:24:59,176
I'd call her every day and she
just would not talk very much.
1618
01:24:59,177 --> 01:25:01,429
She was just, like, shut down.
1619
01:25:01,430 --> 01:25:03,181
It was horrible.
1620
01:25:04,391 --> 01:25:06,685
That was the lowest point.
1621
01:25:07,686 --> 01:25:10,313
Many people just don't
understand what it means to
1622
01:25:10,314 --> 01:25:12,482
fall in love with a
person like Sally.
1623
01:25:14,359 --> 01:25:16,360
Some of the very
characteristics that made her
1624
01:25:16,361 --> 01:25:19,488
the woman who could break
the highest glass ceiling
1625
01:25:19,489 --> 01:25:21,950
made her tough to be
in a relationship with.
1626
01:25:27,331 --> 01:25:30,834
Sally couldn't share with
the people closest to her,
1627
01:25:33,045 --> 01:25:34,755
even her sister, Bear.
1628
01:25:36,840 --> 01:25:39,384
Here's Bear, Sally's sister,
who's two years younger.
1629
01:25:41,011 --> 01:25:42,970
- Sally and Tam
had been living together for
1630
01:25:42,971 --> 01:25:45,349
a long time,
and one could assume.
1631
01:25:45,724 --> 01:25:49,644
We had family holiday meals,
and Sally and Tam would come
1632
01:25:49,645 --> 01:25:51,313
over and have baked a pie.
1633
01:25:51,897 --> 01:25:54,816
But Sally just never
talked about it.
1634
01:25:56,276 --> 01:25:57,735
I was a Presbyterian minister,
1635
01:25:57,736 --> 01:25:59,445
as was my wife,
1636
01:25:59,446 --> 01:26:01,907
and we came out when
we got together.
1637
01:26:02,949 --> 01:26:05,284
But as a result
of coming out,
1638
01:26:05,285 --> 01:26:08,288
Susan and I both lost
our jobs in the church.
1639
01:26:09,247 --> 01:26:13,334
- Bear wanted to talk
to Sally about Susan and
1640
01:26:13,335 --> 01:26:17,047
also wanted to talk
to Sally about Sally and me.
1641
01:26:18,173 --> 01:26:19,632
And so Sally said,
1642
01:26:19,633 --> 01:26:21,760
"Tam, will you
please talk to Bear?"
1643
01:26:22,886 --> 01:26:25,222
I was like, "Why don't
you talk to your sister?
1644
01:26:26,139 --> 01:26:27,139
You're with a woman.
1645
01:26:27,140 --> 01:26:28,432
She's with a woman.
1646
01:26:28,433 --> 01:26:30,310
Talk to her.
She's your sister."
1647
01:26:32,270 --> 01:26:34,815
I didn't understand that.
I didn't get it.
1648
01:26:39,695 --> 01:26:42,613
When I came back from my trip,
1649
01:26:42,614 --> 01:26:44,991
Sally said that she
needed to talk to me.
1650
01:26:45,617 --> 01:26:48,452
She said that she was worried
about our relationship,
1651
01:26:48,453 --> 01:26:50,914
that things were changing,
and it scared her.
1652
01:26:52,040 --> 01:26:53,666
It hit her in her heart.
1653
01:26:53,667 --> 01:26:56,919
She didn't want us to end up
spending most of our time in
1654
01:26:56,920 --> 01:26:59,798
separate rooms,
doing separate things.
1655
01:27:01,800 --> 01:27:04,093
We were having an
intense conversation.
1656
01:27:04,094 --> 01:27:05,219
We weren't fighting,
1657
01:27:05,220 --> 01:27:07,638
it wasn't, but it was a
little bit of a debate.
1658
01:27:07,639 --> 01:27:10,307
And she was standing
with flat foot,
1659
01:27:10,308 --> 01:27:13,269
and suddenly she just
rises up on her toes,
1660
01:27:13,270 --> 01:27:16,605
and it just cracked me up
and I just started laughing.
1661
01:27:16,606 --> 01:27:18,775
I just couldn't, it's so
cute and so different.
1662
01:27:19,943 --> 01:27:22,611
I just realized
that I love Sally,
1663
01:27:22,612 --> 01:27:25,407
and maybe there's a
way to work this out.
1664
01:27:26,491 --> 01:27:29,452
Sally told me that she
always wanted me to be happy,
1665
01:27:29,453 --> 01:27:33,247
and we just ended up agreeing
that we needed to find a better
1666
01:27:33,248 --> 01:27:36,585
balance between what I
needed and what she needed.
1667
01:27:40,172 --> 01:27:42,339
We couldn't change the
way the world saw us,
1668
01:27:42,340 --> 01:27:44,341
but we love each
other so much,
1669
01:27:44,342 --> 01:27:47,554
and we wanted to be together
through hell or high water.
1670
01:27:53,602 --> 01:27:56,605
We were happy together
for many, many years.
1671
01:27:57,063 --> 01:28:01,025
And then in 2011, Sally and
I were going to San Francisco
1672
01:28:01,026 --> 01:28:02,485
for a conference.
1673
01:28:02,486 --> 01:28:06,030
We were at a hotel, and
Sally didn't want any dinner.
1674
01:28:06,031 --> 01:28:08,032
She, she said she
didn't feel well,
1675
01:28:08,033 --> 01:28:10,702
and I noticed that her
cheeks were slightly yellow.
1676
01:28:11,411 --> 01:28:13,705
That just scared the
willies out of me.
1677
01:28:14,372 --> 01:28:16,081
So as soon as Sally
and I got back,
1678
01:28:16,082 --> 01:28:18,752
we took a car straight
to the doctor's office.
1679
01:28:20,670 --> 01:28:23,340
And I'm just thinking,
"She's sick, but not serious."
1680
01:28:24,591 --> 01:28:27,051
But then I see her walking
out of the doctor's office,
1681
01:28:27,052 --> 01:28:29,011
and her face,
1682
01:28:29,012 --> 01:28:31,180
I just knew something
was really bad wrong.
1683
01:28:31,181 --> 01:28:33,350
And, oh, boy.
1684
01:28:37,270 --> 01:28:39,731
And you know, I said,
"What, what did he say?"
1685
01:28:40,857 --> 01:28:43,276
And she said, "He
thinks I have cancer.
1686
01:28:44,277 --> 01:28:45,194
Pancreatic cancer.
1687
01:28:45,195 --> 01:28:47,280
There's a tumor in my pancreas."
1688
01:28:51,993 --> 01:28:55,247
In, in one second, our
life is totally changed.
1689
01:28:59,209 --> 01:29:00,459
We were like zombies.
1690
01:29:00,460 --> 01:29:02,838
It was just such a shock.
1691
01:29:12,472 --> 01:29:16,101
She had extensive surgery,
chemo, and radiation.
1692
01:29:17,686 --> 01:29:20,230
[Bear Ride] But she always
remained optimistic.
1693
01:29:21,648 --> 01:29:23,275
She was always Sally.
1694
01:29:31,741 --> 01:29:34,285
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] As
the cancer progressed,
1695
01:29:34,286 --> 01:29:36,413
she got sicker and sicker.
1696
01:29:38,665 --> 01:29:41,208
Every week, she'd
lose something,
1697
01:29:41,209 --> 01:29:43,962
the ability to go up
and down the stairs.
1698
01:29:54,681 --> 01:29:58,059
- Tam was amazing
during that time with Sally,
1699
01:29:59,352 --> 01:30:01,646
as committed as could be.
1700
01:30:12,115 --> 01:30:15,868
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] I loved
Neil Young and that song,
1701
01:30:15,869 --> 01:30:17,745
"Harvest Moon."
1702
01:30:17,746 --> 01:30:19,830
I would put that on
sometime and make,
1703
01:30:19,831 --> 01:30:23,042
make Sally dance slow with
me in the living room.
1704
01:30:23,043 --> 01:30:25,628
And it was just, you know,
and she, she was,
1705
01:30:25,629 --> 01:30:27,714
had lost weight
and she was weak.
1706
01:30:28,214 --> 01:30:30,800
♪ Come a little bit closer. ♪
1707
01:30:32,469 --> 01:30:35,597
♪ Hear what I have to say. ♪
1708
01:30:37,974 --> 01:30:39,559
[Tam O’Shaughnessy]
She looked very cute.
1709
01:30:39,893 --> 01:30:41,853
Her blue eyes are still fierce.
1710
01:30:45,023 --> 01:30:47,776
♪ Just like
children sleeping. ♪
1711
01:30:49,486 --> 01:30:52,322
♪ We could dream
this night away. ♪
1712
01:30:54,783 --> 01:30:57,619
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] It was
just wonderful to be with her.
1713
01:31:01,539 --> 01:31:05,293
♪ Because I'm still
in love with you. ♪
1714
01:31:06,336 --> 01:31:09,589
♪ I wanna see you dance again. ♪
1715
01:31:10,298 --> 01:31:13,510
♪ Because I'm
still in love with you ♪
1716
01:31:15,011 --> 01:31:18,848
♪ On this harvest moon. ♪
1717
01:31:19,265 --> 01:31:20,766
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] We both
just wanted to be as close
1718
01:31:20,767 --> 01:31:22,393
as we could.
1719
01:31:22,394 --> 01:31:26,147
We would be locking arms
going into the hospital.
1720
01:31:27,315 --> 01:31:29,483
The nurse would ask me,
"Who are you?"
1721
01:31:29,484 --> 01:31:32,070
And Sally started saying,
"She's my partner."
1722
01:31:33,446 --> 01:31:36,074
And it was just like,
just came out of her mouth.
1723
01:31:38,827 --> 01:31:40,536
Hospitals used to tell
you that if you're not
1724
01:31:40,537 --> 01:31:43,372
a family member,
you can't see the patient.
1725
01:31:43,373 --> 01:31:45,583
And Sally was very
worried about that.
1726
01:31:46,710 --> 01:31:49,795
We wished that we'd taken
the opportunity to get married,
1727
01:31:49,796 --> 01:31:55,176
but we decided then to file to
be certified domestic partners.
1728
01:31:59,014 --> 01:32:02,016
It felt almost as
close as being married.
1729
01:32:02,017 --> 01:32:06,186
It just, it was really fun to
see both our signatures on that
1730
01:32:06,187 --> 01:32:08,648
little stupid piece of paper.
1731
01:32:10,567 --> 01:32:12,610
Oh, man, that brought back.
1732
01:32:19,701 --> 01:32:22,620
Sally died in July 2012,
1733
01:32:23,371 --> 01:32:25,832
17 months after
the diagnosis.
1734
01:32:31,588 --> 01:32:33,590
It was a wild day.
1735
01:32:33,965 --> 01:32:36,300
I couldn't handle the coroner,
so I asked Bear, you know,
1736
01:32:36,301 --> 01:32:40,096
we just, I don't, I don't wanna
watch her being wheeled away.
1737
01:32:40,847 --> 01:32:44,933
I went outside and just sat
on our patio and suddenly,
1738
01:32:44,934 --> 01:32:49,105
I hear a helicopter circling
right over our house.
1739
01:32:50,690 --> 01:32:52,399
Cars were pulling up.
1740
01:32:52,400 --> 01:32:54,610
Then there was a
cameraman hanging out with
1741
01:32:54,611 --> 01:32:56,154
a big old camera.
1742
01:32:57,405 --> 01:32:59,323
[anchor] We bid a sad farewell.
1743
01:32:59,324 --> 01:33:01,408
- A true American
pioneer died today.
1744
01:33:01,409 --> 01:33:03,744
- Trailblazing astronaut,
Sally Ride,
1745
01:33:03,745 --> 01:33:05,663
has lost her battle
with pancreatic cancer.
1746
01:33:06,122 --> 01:33:07,998
She was 61 years old.
1747
01:33:07,999 --> 01:33:09,625
{\an8}- Ride was a very private person.
1748
01:33:09,626 --> 01:33:12,419
{\an8}It wasn't until reading her
obituary today that it became
1749
01:33:12,420 --> 01:33:16,256
public news that Ride had
had a 27-year-long relationship
1750
01:33:16,257 --> 01:33:17,383
with a female partner.
1751
01:33:22,430 --> 01:33:24,056
[Lynn Sherr] I found out
about Tam the same way the
1752
01:33:24,057 --> 01:33:26,558
rest of the world did,
in the obituary.
1753
01:33:26,559 --> 01:33:28,310
Oh, I was furious at her.
1754
01:33:28,311 --> 01:33:30,688
I was furious.
How dare she not tell me?
1755
01:33:31,773 --> 01:33:34,650
And then I felt really bad.
1756
01:33:34,651 --> 01:33:39,029
I felt bad that society could
make someone that we admire and
1757
01:33:39,030 --> 01:33:42,241
love and respect
feel that she had to hide
1758
01:33:42,242 --> 01:33:44,119
something about herself.
1759
01:33:46,204 --> 01:33:48,872
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] About a
month before she passed away,
1760
01:33:48,873 --> 01:33:52,793
it was just clear
that the end was near.
1761
01:33:52,794 --> 01:33:55,170
We never talked
about death, funeral,
1762
01:33:55,171 --> 01:33:57,214
we never used those words.
1763
01:33:57,215 --> 01:33:59,383
But then I thought,
"Wait a second.
1764
01:33:59,384 --> 01:34:02,344
Who am I gonna be to the world?
1765
01:34:02,345 --> 01:34:04,179
Who am I going to be to
the people that don't know
1766
01:34:04,180 --> 01:34:06,808
that we've been together
and we love each other?"
1767
01:34:08,143 --> 01:34:11,311
She just kind of thought
about it, and she said,
1768
01:34:11,312 --> 01:34:14,899
"You decide. Whatever
you decide will be fine."
1769
01:34:17,485 --> 01:34:20,946
So when I wrote the obituary,
I just thought, "You know what?
1770
01:34:20,947 --> 01:34:24,867
Sally was an honest person,
except for this little thin
1771
01:34:24,868 --> 01:34:26,911
area and it's just not right."
1772
01:34:27,787 --> 01:34:30,664
And I'm an honest person,
so I, I'm just sick of hiding.
1773
01:34:30,665 --> 01:34:31,915
I'm just gonna be myself.
1774
01:34:31,916 --> 01:34:34,335
If somebody doesn't
like it, tough.
1775
01:34:38,548 --> 01:34:41,718
- It was really
a liberation for all of us.
1776
01:34:42,177 --> 01:34:46,597
Tam should be recognized
for who she was in relation
1777
01:34:46,598 --> 01:34:49,851
to Sally as well as in
relation to our family.
1778
01:34:56,649 --> 01:34:59,776
- I am going to read
an unbelievable letter that
1779
01:34:59,777 --> 01:35:02,280
I received from Mike Mullane.
1780
01:35:03,907 --> 01:35:07,034
"I know this is belated,
but I wanted to extend my
1781
01:35:07,035 --> 01:35:09,078
heartfelt sympathy
for your loss.
1782
01:35:10,914 --> 01:35:13,665
I came to the astronaut
office having been immersed
1783
01:35:13,666 --> 01:35:16,961
in all male environments
my entire life.
1784
01:35:17,462 --> 01:35:20,464
My early behavior and
word and deed alienated
1785
01:35:20,465 --> 01:35:22,550
Sally from me."
1786
01:35:23,218 --> 01:35:26,094
[Mike Mullane] When we got
to NASA, day one at NASA,
1787
01:35:26,095 --> 01:35:27,387
if you would have
looked in the dictionary
1788
01:35:27,388 --> 01:35:29,097
under male sexist pig,
you would have saw
1789
01:35:29,098 --> 01:35:30,975
Mike Mullane's
picture in there.
1790
01:35:31,517 --> 01:35:33,853
I'm, I'm ashamed,
really, of what, my attitude.
1791
01:35:34,437 --> 01:35:35,979
- "Sally was a remarkable woman
1792
01:35:35,980 --> 01:35:38,983
and faced enormous obstacles
with courage and dignity.
1793
01:35:40,026 --> 01:35:41,652
I have four granddaughters.
1794
01:35:41,653 --> 01:35:44,780
I want them to have an
appreciation for the sacrifices
1795
01:35:44,781 --> 01:35:48,992
women like Sally and each of
you made to secure a future in
1796
01:35:48,993 --> 01:35:51,913
which they won't be constrained
in pursuing their own dreams."
1797
01:35:53,373 --> 01:35:56,125
That's, this is
an amazing letter.
1798
01:35:57,335 --> 01:36:00,462
[Mike Mullane] Here I was
doubting the women's ability
1799
01:36:00,463 --> 01:36:02,799
to handle these
dangerous situations.
1800
01:36:04,008 --> 01:36:05,926
Working with them
opened my eyes.
1801
01:36:05,927 --> 01:36:07,678
They can do the job as
well as anybody else,
1802
01:36:07,679 --> 01:36:09,596
and these six women proved it.
1803
01:36:09,597 --> 01:36:11,266
And Sally was part of it.
1804
01:36:12,600 --> 01:36:14,476
- I think that it's time
that people realize that
1805
01:36:14,477 --> 01:36:18,356
women in this country can
do any job that they wanna do.
1806
01:36:21,776 --> 01:36:23,902
[Billie Jean King] Space
for the United States changed
1807
01:36:23,903 --> 01:36:25,904
for all time
when Sally went up.
1808
01:36:25,905 --> 01:36:28,241
Women can do this.
She proved it. Done.
1809
01:36:29,492 --> 01:36:31,702
[Kathy Sullivan] She was
breaking trail for all of the
1810
01:36:31,703 --> 01:36:34,079
women who've flown in
space after her and she
1811
01:36:34,080 --> 01:36:35,456
did it superbly.
1812
01:36:35,957 --> 01:36:38,000
♪ There is no fear. ♪
1813
01:36:38,001 --> 01:36:41,671
♪ We're out here and my
eyes are clear and bright. ♪
1814
01:36:44,465 --> 01:36:46,675
♪ There is no time, ♪
1815
01:36:46,676 --> 01:36:49,846
♪ No straight line,
not one in sight. ♪
1816
01:36:52,348 --> 01:36:55,475
[Kathy Sullivan] You can see
Sally's legacy in the many
1817
01:36:55,476 --> 01:36:59,939
women who are now a part of
all facets of NASA's work.
1818
01:37:00,565 --> 01:37:04,401
All the younger women and women
in science that she touched,
1819
01:37:04,402 --> 01:37:05,777
she inspired.
1820
01:37:05,778 --> 01:37:08,655
It heightens the likelihood
that they'll try harder,
1821
01:37:08,656 --> 01:37:10,700
go further, contribute more.
1822
01:37:12,076 --> 01:37:13,785
[Sally Ride] I'd like to be
remembered as someone who was
1823
01:37:13,786 --> 01:37:17,706
not afraid to do what she
wanted to do and as someone who
1824
01:37:17,707 --> 01:37:21,044
took risks along the way in
order to achieve her goals.
1825
01:37:22,795 --> 01:37:25,505
♪ But I'll return again ♪
1826
01:37:25,506 --> 01:37:28,717
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] I have
thought long and hard about why
1827
01:37:28,718 --> 01:37:31,679
Sally couldn't be open
about our relationship,
1828
01:37:33,598 --> 01:37:36,892
and the only thing that
makes sense to me is that
1829
01:37:36,893 --> 01:37:38,436
she was afraid.
1830
01:37:39,604 --> 01:37:42,231
That's heartbreaking
for me, but also for her.
1831
01:37:43,733 --> 01:37:46,068
[Bear Ride] All the people that
think Sally should have come
1832
01:37:46,069 --> 01:37:49,738
out before she died or Sally
should have just graciously
1833
01:37:49,739 --> 01:37:52,325
accepted the bouquet of
flowers at her landing,
1834
01:37:53,034 --> 01:37:55,202
just let Sally be Sally.
1835
01:37:55,203 --> 01:37:57,830
That's what made
Sally who she was.
1836
01:37:58,831 --> 01:38:02,752
♪ If I showed it, I'd lose it,
didn't think I had a choice ♪
1837
01:38:03,211 --> 01:38:05,504
- She left us with a question,
1838
01:38:05,505 --> 01:38:09,049
she left us with some curiosity,
1839
01:38:09,050 --> 01:38:11,052
but she left us
on her terms,
1840
01:38:11,928 --> 01:38:13,679
and that's the way
Sally always liked it.
1841
01:38:16,307 --> 01:38:18,226
[President Obama] Good morning.
Good morning, everybody.
1842
01:38:20,937 --> 01:38:23,105
[Tam O’Shaughnessy] I got a
phone call from the White House.
1843
01:38:23,106 --> 01:38:25,107
They said that
Sally was gonna, uh,
1844
01:38:25,108 --> 01:38:27,068
receive the Presidential
Medal of Freedom.
1845
01:38:27,860 --> 01:38:30,612
[President Obama] As the
first American woman in space,
1846
01:38:30,613 --> 01:38:33,616
Sally didn't just break the
stratospheric glass ceiling,
1847
01:38:34,325 --> 01:38:35,743
she blasted through it.
1848
01:38:36,244 --> 01:38:37,661
[reporter] Tam O'Shaughnessy
1849
01:38:37,662 --> 01:38:40,122
accepting on behalf
of her life partner,
1850
01:38:40,123 --> 01:38:42,166
Dr. Sally K. Ride.
1851
01:38:43,376 --> 01:38:46,003
[applause]
1852
01:38:49,507 --> 01:38:52,217
- Talk about a public coming out,
1853
01:38:52,218 --> 01:38:56,389
I mean, that was, uh, big.
1854
01:38:58,182 --> 01:39:00,559
[applause]
1855
01:39:00,560 --> 01:39:02,603
It just felt unbelievable.
1856
01:39:03,229 --> 01:39:07,150
Finally, Sally was celebrated
for who she really was,
1857
01:39:08,234 --> 01:39:11,070
and I got celebrated as
well for being her partner.
1858
01:39:13,281 --> 01:39:16,324
The world made it
tricky and painful,
1859
01:39:16,325 --> 01:39:19,787
but we were brave
enough to love each other.
1860
01:39:32,091 --> 01:39:37,054
[♪ orchestral music playing]
1861
01:39:51,110 --> 01:39:56,657
[♪ orchestral music playing]
1862
01:40:16,135 --> 01:40:21,891
{\an8}[♪ orchestral music playing]