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Sally Ride Stamp Launches Wednesday, May 23rd

Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, a pioneering astronaut, brilliant physicist and dedicated educator who inspired the nation, will be commemorat...
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Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, a pioneering astronaut, brilliant physicist and dedicated educator who inspired the nation, will be commemorated on a Forever stamp tomorrow.

“Sally Ride’s history-making journey has made it easier for young girls to dream of one day being an astronaut, an engineer, a physicist or a mathematician. Today, girls don’t just dream. Because of trailblazers like Sally Ride, they have been empowered to do!” said U.S. Postal Service Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President Kristin Seaver.

“Sally started collecting stamps when she was a girl, and she continued to do so her whole life —especially stamps of the Olympics and space exploration,” said Tam O’Shaughnessy, co-founder and executive director of Sally Ride Science at U C San Diegoand Ride’s widow.. “Sally would be deeply honored to have her portrait on a U.S. stamp.”

The stamp art features a colorful portrait of Ride in her light blue space suit with a dramatic depiction of a space shuttle lifting off in the background. Sketched first in charcoal and then rendered in oil paint, artist Paul Salmon of Burke, VA, reflects her positivity and confident spirit, as well as the excitement and danger of space travel. Art director Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, designed the stamp.

The Sally Ride Forever stamp dedication ceremony, will start at 5 p.m. PDT and is  free and open to the public. It will take place at the Price Center, University of California San Diego. Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at Facebook.com/USPS. The stamps may be pre-ordered now at this link for delivery shortly after Wednesday’s issuance.

Source: USPS

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