2-839-765 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

This TELEX E-6B dead reckoning computer belonged to Dr. Sally K. Ride. It is a circular slide rule used in aviation for calculating factors such as fuel burn, wind correction, ground speed, and estimated time of arrival. As a mission specialist astronaut, Ride was not responsible for piloting the space shuttle, but as part of her training she was expected to spend fifteen hours a month aloft in the backseat of a T-38 jet. These flights allowed Ride to practice navigation and communication procedures while also being conditioned for high-performance flight. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space when she flew on the STS-7 shuttle mission in 1983.