A new documentary about the life and hidden love of astronaut Sally Ride is now streaming, 42 years to the week after she became the first American woman to fly into space.
“SALLY,” from director Cristina Costantini and National Geographic Documentary Films, is available to watch on Disney+ and Hulu beginning today (June 17). The feature-length movie features interviews with some of Ride’s crewmates, her family and, most poignantly, her life partner.
“I can’t recall the exact moment that Sally Ride first captured my imagination, but I know that I’ve been obsessed with her story from a very young age,” said Costantini in a statement released by National Geographic. “I was drawn to telling the story of a trailblazing woman fighting for respect in a male-dominated world.”
“But above all, I wanted to explore the beautiful, unknown love story between Sally and Tam O’Shaughnessy,” she added. “Their enduring relationship was kept secret from the public for 27 long years. Our film celebrates the Sally we all knew through her accomplishments and, for the first time, pays homage to the one we never could know.”
“Sally” premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize. In the time since, it has been screened at various U.S. and international festivals. Tuesday’s premiere on the streaming services followed a broadcast on the National Geographic Channel on Monday evening (June 16).
Ride, one of NASA’s first six female astronauts, made history on June 18, 1983, when she lifted off as an STS-7 mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Challenger. She launched again on STS-41G in 1984, before leaving NASA but continuing to serve the nation’s space program as a leading advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, especially for young women.
Ride died in 2012 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 61.
“Sally was a true pioneer — a hero who shattered barriers for girls and women and redefined what it means to be a leader,” said O’Shaughnessy. “I want the world to see Sally for who she truly was: passionate, private, ambitious, brave, funny, loyal, comfortable in her own skin and, above all, full of love. Our relationship was unique and transformative, and it deeply shaped both of our lives.”
“It was important to me that this film not only celebrate Sally’s legacy but also share the story of our bond. I’m forever grateful to Cristina Costantini, National Geographic Documentary Films, Story Syndicate, and the entire team for bringing this story to life, one that couldn’t be told until now and is more relevant than ever,” she said.
