Heroic Astronaut Sally Ride Honored at Unveiling of Her Statue at Reagan Museum – Daily News

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A life-size statue of famed astronaut Sally Ride was unveiled at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Tuesday, July 4, prompting a patriotic onlooker, Ride’s sister, Bear Ride, to tell the crowd, “Sally’s mission was only ‘in space’ It was not just ‘to go and come back,’ but also to open young minds and hearts to the dedication that can make this planet of ours a better place for all of us.’

The intricate bronze statue, which now stands on the way to the Reagan Library’s Peace Through Strength Pavilion, honors Ride’s legacy as the first American woman in space. An astronaut and physicist, he made history in 1983 by flying into space on the Challenger shuttle.

Bear Ride said her sister was “a pioneer and a hero. Here we are in the San Fernando Valley looking back at our old home and remembering and celebrating her.”

Bear Ride and other speakers said they were proud to have the statue in the Los Angeles area, as Sally Ride, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2012, grew up in Van Nuys and Encino. The unveiling was attended by more than a dozen of his family members and close friends.

Steven Barber, a filmmaker and one of the organizers of the fundraiser for the statue, said, “Her phenomenal contribution to the field of physics, especially astrophysics, is unparalleled.” “She grew up right around this corner and her spirit is still here.”

President Reagan said on June 18, 1983, “Today marks the seventh Space Shuttle flight. This particular shuttle flight is unique in several ways. This marks the first spaceflight by an American woman – Dr. Sally Ride, another example of the great strides women have made in our country.

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