Sally Ride’s Personal Legacy Heads to Auction

A rare collection of items from the estate of Dr. Sally Ride—the first American woman in space—is now up for auction at Nate D. Sanders Auctions. It offers collectors an extraordinary glimpse into the life and career of one of the 20th century’s most iconic explorers.

STS-7 flown Robbins medal, personally owned by astronaut Sally Ride, who distinguished herself as the first female astronaut on this Space Shuttle Challenger mission. Image courtesy of Nate D. Sanders Auction.

The auction includes more than 50 lots tied to Ride’s historic missions and personal journey, from her early days as a Stanford physicist to her groundbreaking flights aboard Challenger. Among the most notable offerings are her flown gold Robbins medals from STS-7 and STS-41-G (Lots 8 and 12), deeply personal mementos of her record-setting achievements in 1983 and 1984.

Sally Ride's personally owned and signed NASA ID badge for the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Image courtesy of Nate D. Sanders Auction.

These pieces are more than just mission relics—they represent the quiet confidence and pioneering spirit that made Ride a global symbol of possibility and progress.

This is a set of two diaries, personally owned and handwritten by Sally Ride, documenting in vivid detail the Space Shuttle Challenger STS-41-G mission in October 1984. Image courtesy of Nate D. Sanders Auction.

Bidding closes June 26, 2025. Full lot details and condition reports are available at the Nate D. Sanders Auctions website.

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