WHAT:

First-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the Sally Ride Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public.Please share the news using the hashtags #SallyRideForever and #AstronautStamps.

WHO:

Kristin Seaver, U.S. Postal Service Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President
Pradeep K. Khosla, chancellor, University of California San Diego
Billie Jean King, tennis legend and champion of social justice; friend of Sally Ride
Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic woman in space and director of the Johnson Space Center; friend of Sally Ride
Tam O’Shaughnessy, co-founder and executive director of Sally Ride Scienceat University of California San Diego; widow of Sally Ride
Becky Petitt, vice chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, University of California San Diego

WHEN:

Wednesday, May 23 at 5 p.m. PDT

WHERE:

The Price Center, University of California San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093

Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS.

BACKGROUND:

America’s first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride (1951–2012) inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant scientist, and dedicated educator.

On June 18, 1983, Ride launched through Earth’s atmosphere aboard space shuttle Challenger, becoming the first American woman to reach space. For six days, she worked closely with her four male crewmates, proving to the world below that women were just as adept as their male counterparts in the final frontier.

Ride was the only person to sit on the investigative panels for both the Challenger and Columbia accidents. As a professor, she used her experience as an astronaut to explain complicated physics principles. In 2001, she cofounded a company devoted to fostering interest and skills in science, technology, engineering, and math among young people, particularly girls.

Through her love of science and determination to improve our world, Ride left a lasting impact on generations of students and the future of American space exploration.

After the stamp dedication ceremony, Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego will celebrate the occasion with a panel discussion on Women in Leadership at 6:30 p.m. Visit Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego for more information.