NASA named a spot on the moon Monday after Sally Ride, the late La Jolla resident who was the first American woman to fly in space. Ride, who died of pancreatic cancer in July at age 61, also was known nationally for a program that promoted science education among children.
The location that now bears Ride's name is located close to the moon's north pole, at the spot where NASA ended its unmanned GRAIL science mission by sending the twin probes Ebb and Flow crashing into the lunar surface. The tiny spacecraft struck a mountain near the crater Goldschmidt at 2:29 p.m. PST, while traveling at 3,760 mph. Ride had been a member of the GRAIL team, overseeing MoonKam, a camera that took photos of the surface on behalf of schoolchildren.
In a statement, GRAIL's lead investigator, Maria Zuber of MIT, said, "Sally was all about getting the job done, whether it be in exploring space, inspiring the next generation, or helping make the GRAIL mission the resounding success it is today. As we complete our lunar mission, we are proud we can honor Sally Ride's contributions by naming this corner of the moon after her."
Francis French, who worked for Ride before he became education director at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, said Monday night, "Sally Ride did so much to make the lunar surface relevant to a whole new generation of virtual explorers, through the innovative MoonKAM project. To name the resting place of the spacecraft after her seems a very fitting memorial to me."