Partner of Sally Ride Reflects On Their Hidden Relationship

History, Sally Ride, would not register if NASA did not overthrow her eyes when she did not overthrow NASA’s first toilet kit plans for female astronauts – but she was within the right to do it. The space agency certainly knew how to package it for men, it provides more or less foundations – deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, razor. Women would also have foundations, but it would be more: who knew how many average a woman would need an average woman in space in space?

This first toilet kit was planned before 18 June 1983, when he went on a journey In the shuttle ChallengerBeing the first American woman in space, breaking the gender barrier broken by the Soviets cosmonaut Valentina TeeshkovaMore than 20 years ago. The bumper bullshit NASA’s generally female astronauts and especially driving had to endure. The story became chronic in the new documentary Sally2025 winner Sundance Film FestivalAlfred P. Sloan feature film award.

Among the experienced unforgettable moments, there was a pre -flight press conference where he raised his hand for a time magazine and asked, “Dr. Ride, a few fast questions, sir… Ma’am,”. Also, “Are you crying?” There was also a reporter who asked. During training, especially when faced with a knotted problem. After the shuttle landing, designed as a gift to the first space hero of America, a bouquet of flower journey was made – politely refused to accept and revealed all kinds of criticism in the mainstream press.

It was more important than all this – it was special –extreme Private-Ride To Ride, most importantly, a 27-year relationship with his life partner TamhaUghnessy, Ride 61-year-old, a name that did not emerge from pancreatic cancer in 2012, and O’s Hazughnessy, to the world to mark the transition of Mate, he explained. Shortly before the journey died, O’shaughnessy gently explained how to reveal more secrets than a quarter -century.

“I asked Sally. I said, you know, ‘I’m a little worried. Whatever you decide will be the right thing to be given. ‘ ‘

Written, produced and managed by Cristina Costantini, the film becomes premiere at the National Geographic Channel on June 16 and is available for broadcasting in Disney+ and Hulu on June 17th. Initially, there is no minimize how alien the concept of the female astronaut is, at least in the United States, the film contains a clip of Gordon Cooper, one of NASA’s seven original astronauts interviewed in the early 1960s. “Is there any room in the space program for a woman?” The reporter asked. “Well, Coop Cooper replied without a trail of a smile,“ We ​​could use a woman and fly her instead of chimpanzees. ”

Alan Shepard was not the first American in space, one and a half years after 1976, NASA opened the astronaut election process to women and color people. More than that 8,000 Hopeful APPLICATION; In 1978, NASA chose 35 to become astronauts, Three black people– An Asian AmericanAnd Six women. Judith, who will die when he is a shuttle, was found among them like Resnik Challenger In January 1986, he exploded at the beginning of his tenth mission. In and out of NASA, Ride and Resnik were accepted as leading candidates among men as she ran to Shepard’s flight in 1961. After all, Sally The NASA mission was chosen because the NASA mission planners, who joined the planners of the planners, focused more on the task and attracted less attention to the date they will do less.

“He loved physics and loved space exploration, O’s says O’ssughnessy,“ And that he could be intense with these things and may be driven. ”

Ride also loved O’SUghnessy – but although it was a long time in production. The two came together at the age of Ride, and O’ShaUghnessy was 12 years old, and they were standing in order to check to play in a tennis tournament in Southern California, where they both grew up. The driving rose quietly and again again and O’ssUghnessy said, ‘You are walking on your toys like a ballet dancer.’ ‘This kind of friendship began. Sally was a little quiet, but for eight minutes of different players and how to defeat, how to defeat. ”

The two approached, but went in different directions, but before 1968 at the Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania for three terms, he conducted a physical study in UCLA before he was transferred to Stanford in UCLA and became a professional tennis player from 1971 to 1974. He’s playing after all Both the US is open and Wimbledon. O’Sughnessy accepted sexuality early, clear and enthusiastic.

“I was on the tennis track and there were a few queer women, Time Time said. “But at the same time only atmosphere, even flat women.

Things were different for driving. While in Stanford, the woman fell in love with her roommate and two for four years. However, Ride insisted on holding the relationship to a great extent, and this privacy was a still for his wife. Oshaughnessy could not withstand so much closure and could not decide to continue his life, O’s says.

Ride would later choose a sex partner against it, Marry Astronaut Steve Hawley In 1982, a movement with more than a pose for a public figure in a country that is not ready for homosexual marriage, but less than a real heart. “They were really good friends, O’s says O’ssughnessy. “They had a lot of common points. He was an astronomer, Sally was a physicist. They had things to talk about.

It was not enough. Two of them divorced in 1987, but even before they did, Ride and O’ssughnessy began to drift together as more than friends. At that time, he lived in Atlanta after he retired from the O’ssUghnessy tennis runway; Ride, who lives in Houston, would often visit him.

Im I never thought that we would be romantic, O’s says O’ssughnessy, “But in the spring of 1985, he returned like this in the afternoon. When he came to the town, we would typically go for running and long walks and we had time together. One day we were talking. I was just talking.

As he remembers in the film O’s, Oh Oh Son, we’re in trouble. ” He said. Ride replied, “We don’t have to be. We don’t have to do this.” Then they kissed.

The driving flies twice in space after all, He goes up the second time in 1984once again in the shuttle Challenger. This snake-bit ship came to the tragic ruin, exploded 73 seconds to the last flight, and claiming the lives of all seven crews, Ride and Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong and the first man on the month, commission This investigated the causes of the accident. To spread NASA SOL In 1987, he adopted a scholarship in Stanford and later became a professor of physics at the University of California in San Diego. In 1989, O’Sughnessy moved to the west to live with him. Impossible Until 2013One year after the death of the journey, California will permanently legalize homosexual marriage. Until 2015 The high court does the same thing throughout the country. This was good with Ride, who continued to believe that his love for O’Sughnessy should remain quiet and relatively special, as in his relationship with his university roommate. However, it began to change in 2011.

At the beginning of that year, Ride first showed symptoms of disease – appetite and yellow cheeks. The doctor diagnosed pancreatic cancer. “The doctor never told what stage. He never said the worst stage. We thought it would be better and we tried everything, O’s O’s Reminds O’s. “He was doing acupuncture, we were meditating, we became vegan. Then one day we were oncologist and ‘Darülaceze time’ he said. And Sally and I were shocked.”

Shortly before the driving died, the couple was worried about O’s House to visit her in the hospital, help critical care decisions, or share property because they were not married and would not be in California. Thus, they went for the next best thing, registered as certified domestic partners, which provided them the necessary rights.

“This is the worst expression, O’s says O’s. “We used to call each other the certified domestic chickens, because it’s a very bad term.”