2-839-770 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

STS-7 Medallion owned by Sally Ride, ca. 1983. This numbered STS-7 Robbins medallion was owned by Dr. Sally K. Ride. STS-7 was historic for making Ride the first American woman in space. The medallion's design incorporates the shuttle's large robotic "arm" bent in the shape of a seven, signifying the mission number. The starburst below the shuttle uses gender symbols, four male and one female, to create a five-pointed star representing the crew members. The first photograph of a shuttle in orbit was taken during STS-7, and Ride, along with another crew member specially trained to operate the robotic arm, arranged for the arm to be seen in the photograph in the shape of a seven, the same as it appears on the medallion.