Ride, Sally Kristen (1951-...), was a United States astronaut who became the first American woman to travel in space. In June 1983, she and astronauts Robert L. Crippen, John M. Fabian, Frederick H. Hauck, and Norman E. Thagard made a six-day flight on the space shuttle Challenger. During the mission, Ride and Fabian launched communications satellites for the Canadian and Indonesian governments and conducted experiments involving the production of pharmaceuticals. In addition, they tested the shuttle's remote manipulator arm. They used the arm to release a satellite and then retrieve it and place it in the shuttle's cargo area.