Academic Research Ship To Be Named For America's First Woman In Space

The United States Navy has revealed that its next ocean-class auxiliary general oceanographic research (AGOR) vessel will be named after the first American woman to fly in space. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said in a statement Friday that the ship will be christened the R/V Sally Ride.

"As secretary of the Navy, I have the great privilege of naming ships that will represent America with distinction as part of the fleet for many decades to come," Mabus said in a statement revealing the names of seven ships, including the Sally Ride relayed by Space.com. "These ships were all named to recognize the hard working people from cities all around our country who have contributed in so many ways to our Navy and Marine Corps team."

Ride first flew in space on STS-7, the mission flown by Challenger in 1983. June 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of that flight. Ride died of pancreatic cancer last year.

Sally Ride will be a Neil Armstrong-class AGOR ship, the 28th such vessel in service with the U.S. Navy. The R/V Neil Armstrong, the first of the new AGOR ships, entered service for the Navy last September. The 238-foot Sally Ride will be equipped to map the deepest parts of the world's oceans.

Other astronauts so honored by the Navy include Alan Shepard, Wally Schirra, and John Glenn.

(Ship image provided by DoD. NASA photo of Sally Ride)

FMI: www.navy.mil