SHARING A VISION

The program (full name: the Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students program) is named after the first American woman in space. Sally Ride pioneered the educational inititiative (first called Kidsat) in 1995 as a space shuttle astronaut. “She was amazed by the view of our beautiful blue planet wrapped in its thin blanket of air,” explained colleague Tam O’shaughnessy. “Sally wanted to share that view with young people all over the world.” The program, which was renamed Earthkam in 1998 and shifted to the ISS in 2001, was finally named in honour of Ride in 2013, following her death of pancreatic cancer. Pictured: Sudan, Africa 12.79° N, 28.13° E