BY KAREN BOSSICK

Millions of Americans watched as Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space.

They never knew the secret she wrestled with in her mind underneath her astronaut helmet.

Ride’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, tells the story of the romance and sacrifices of their 27 years together in a National Geographic Documentary Film “Sally.” And it will be shown at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at The Argyros.

It is offered by the Sun Valley Film Festival as part of the festival’s monthly movie series.

The film is directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Cristina Costantini, a Sun Valley Film Festival alum.

Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space in 1983, following in the wake of two Russian cosmonauts who flew in space in 1963 and 1982.

The first astronaut known to have been LGBTQ, she was married to astronaut Steven Hawley during her spaceflight years and in a private  relationship with former Women’s Tennis Association player Tam O’Shaughnessy through much of her life.

She flew on the Space Shuttle Challenger twice and was the only person to serve on both of the committees that investigated the loss of Challenger and of Columbia.

The film is hot off its premiere at the Sun Valley Film Festival where it received the 2025 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize for outstanding feature film about science or technology. The Hollywood Reporter named it one of the 15 Best Films at Sundance.

Tickets are available at https://svffmonthlymovies.eventive.org/schedule/678a869c01fdb6fd95db6d42.