Sally Ride has died at 61

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Sally Ride, the first U.S. woman to travel into space, died on Monday after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer, according to her organization, Sally Ride Science. She was 61.



Ride broke new ground for American women in 1983 when at the age of 32 she and four crewmates blasted off aboard space shuttle Challenger. She returned to space for a second mission a year later.



“Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism - and literally changed the face of America's space program, NASA administrator Charles Bolden, a former astronaut, said in a statement.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-sallyridebre86m1c3-20120723,0,6895077.story