Navy Designates Scripps Research Ship in Honor of Sally Ride, Pioneering Space Explorer and UC San Diego Professor
The U.S. Navy has announced that the nation's newest research vessel will be named R/V Sally Ride, honouring the legacy of the first American woman in space. The vessel, currently under construction at Dakota Creek Industries Inc. in Anacortes, Wash., is scheduled for launch in 2015, with routine scientific operations commencing in 2016 following installation of instrumentation and sea trials.
The R/V Sally Ride will be owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by an unspecified organization. It will be the third in the Scripps fleet that is owned by the U.S. Navy and managed by the Office of Naval Research. The vessel, designed to operate globally and engage in a broad spectrum of research in various scientific fields, will be based at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility in Point Loma on San Diego Bay.
Sally Ride, who died in July 2012 at the age of 61, served as a mission specialist on two Space Shuttle missions, STS-7 and STS-41G, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. During these missions, she operated the robotic arm to deploy and retrieve communications satellites, making history as the first satellite retrieval in space by an astronaut.
Beyond her space missions, Ride made significant contributions by serving on the Rogers Commission that investigated the 1986 Challenger disaster and later on the Columbia disaster investigation. After NASA, she dedicated herself to promoting STEM education, especially encouraging girls to pursue science and technology. She co-founded Sally Ride Science to inspire young people through books, educational programs, and festivals.
Greg Cox, chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, believes that having R/V Sally Ride in San Diego's port will be a tremendous opportunity to showcase the region's potential in the "blue economy". More than $28 million generated annually from external funding sources for Scripps fleet operations is reinvested by the university into the local San Diego and regional economy. Scripps's seagoing operations contribute significantly to the region's maritime economy, employing over 150 skilled technicians, engineers, crew, and administrators.
Scripps operates one-fifth of the research vessels in the U.S. academic research fleet. The R/V Sally Ride will provide the Navy with a world-class research platform for ocean exploration and research critical to our understanding of our planet, our oceans, and our atmosphere. Scripps looks forward to welcoming R/V Sally Ride to its fleet and continuing the pioneering spirit embodied by its namesake.
For more than a century, Scripps has been a part of the University of California and its ships have benefitted from key support from the UC System and UC San Diego. The R/V Sally Ride's name was chosen to honour Sally Ride's career and inspire future generations. The vessel will be used for scientific exploration, investigating features from the seafloor to the atmosphere, symbolically continuing Ride's role as a trailblazer in exploration.
Ride's legacy extends beyond her flights, helping to shift cultural attitudes toward women in science and space. The R/V Sally Ride honours her scientific and exploratory spirit, reflecting how she inspired generations of women explorers and scientists.
[1] Sally Ride Biography [2] R/V Sally Ride Announcement [3] Sally Ride Space Missions [4] Sally Ride Memorials [5] Rogers Commission
- The R/V Sally Ride, a world-class research platform for ocean exploration and climate science, will join Scripps's fleet, embodying the pioneering spirit of its namesake Sally Ride, who made significant contributions to medical-conditions research after her NASA career.
- In education-and-self-development, Ride co-founded Sally Ride Science to inspire young people, including those with an interest in sports, to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, following her trailblazing mission as the first American woman in space.
- Advancing our understanding of space-and-astronomy, the R/V Sally Ride will serve as a valuable tool for research, investigating features from the seafloor to the atmosphere, bringing Sally Ride's legacy of exploration and scientific discovery full circle.
