Q 01/05

Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in which year?

A) 1978

B) 1981

C) 1986

D) 1983

Answer · why

D) 1983

She was also the third woman overall, after Soviet cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Svetlana Savitskaya.

Q 02/05

Which Space Shuttle carried Ride on her first flight?

A) Columbia

B) Challenger

C) Discovery

D) Atlantis

Answer · why

B) Challenger

Both of her missions flew on the same orbiter, which was lost in 1986.

Q 03/05

What was the designation of Ride's first spaceflight?

A) STS-7

B) STS-1

C) STS-41-G

D) STS-51-L

Answer · why

A) STS-7

The seventh Shuttle mission deployed two communications satellites and the first shuttle pallet satellite.

Q 04/05

How old was Ride on her first flight in 1983, then the youngest American in space?

A) 27

B) 32

C) 29

D) 35

Answer · why

B) 32

Younger Soviet cosmonauts had flown before her; Hayley Arceneaux, 29, became the youngest American in orbit in 2021.

Q 05/05

In which city was Sally Ride born?

A) Santa Monica

B) San Diego

C) Pasadena

D) Sacramento

Answer · why

A) Santa Monica

She grew up in the Van Nuys and Encino neighbourhoods of the San Fernando Valley.