Latest news with #Ride
Scoop
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
New Release - ELskan FLY - 'Ride'
Born on the vast Canadian prairies, Elskan Fly is a folk-country singer-songwriter with a deep connection to the world around her. Now living among the sweeping Canterbury Plains of New Zealand, she weaves raw emotion into her music, telling stories that capture the lives and experiences of everyday people. A semi-finalist in the 2024 ISC competition and an award-winning songwriter, ELskan FLY's earthy, organic voice and evocative melodies offer a sense of comfort and connection. Her recent single Ride gives a taster of the album coming later in 2025. 'Ride' is a spirited country anthem brought to life by the rich textures of fiddle and banjo. Written by Elskan FLY for her son, who took up bull riding. The track is a heartfelt tribute to determination, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of one's dreams. With vivid storytelling and dynamic production by Liam Kennedy-Clark, 'Ride' captures the adrenaline of the arena and the metaphorical ride of life—encouraging listeners to hold on tight and stay the course. The 'Ride" music video features New Zealand Rodeo Bull Riders and a stunning Matador-inspired dance performance by the captivating Jennifer Moulin. Filmed in Christchurch, New Zealand, the video was produced by the talented team at EVOKE Video. A heartfelt thank you to Sole Music Academy for making this video possible through their Artist Development Program 2024. Makeup by the brilliant Stacey Banfield. Music Production Credits: Written by ELskan FLY Produced by Liam Kennedy-Clark Liam Kennedy-Clark – Bass, Keys, Guitar Ashleigh Dallas – Banjo Gabi Louise – Fiddle Josh Schuberth – Drums
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Science
- Boston Globe
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space 42 years ago today. Here's how weather played a role then and now.
For the launch to be successful, the weather had to be near perfect, and the east coast of Central Florida was basking in amazing conditions that morning. Liftoff commenced without delay with temperatures in the low 70s and near-still wind. This NASA file photo dated June 1983 shows America's first woman astronaut Sally Ride, as she communicates with ground controllers from the flight deck during the six-day space mission of the Challenger. Ride, the first US woman to fly in space, died on July 23, 2012 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61. - But bad weather in Florida upon return to Earth June 24, 1983, forced Challenger to land three time zones away at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in the Mojave desert, where still conditions were certain, especially for a powerless glider that depended on a stable atmosphere to land comfortably. The base also provided very wide runways for a smooth Challenger landing. Sally Ride and STS-7 returns safely in California after bad weather in Florida changed the landing location. NASA Advertisement NASA has strict parameters in place when it comes to weather to 'greenlight' a launch — most of which are obvious. Wind speed and direction need to be light and steady. High winds of 30 miles per hour or more will usually scrap flight plans for the day, and any sudden changes in wind direction may cause issues as the rocket moves vertically through the atmosphere. (Back when Sally Ride was breaking barriers in the Space Shuttle program, launches were delayed or canceled when wind speeds were as low as 22 miles per hour.) Advertisement High visibility with little to no cloud cover is also necessary. Any instability in the atmosphere, albeit minor, can cause lightning when a rocket burning copious amounts of fuel at extreme temperatures blasts through. Apollo 12 was struck by lightning twice during liftoff on Nov. 14, 1969, because of its heat production. Essentially, the rocket's exhaust system acted as a lightning rod and sparked lightning with already-lifting air from a nearby cold front. Temperatures and humidity both play critical roles in NASA rocket launches, as everything from the structural integrity and rocket performance can be impacted by weather conditions. Fuel, insulation, wiring, and other components can expand, contract, or break down if weather conditions aren't ideal. Many will remember the Challenger's last trip on Jan. 28, 1986, when air temperatures were 36 degrees, approximately 15 degrees colder than any other shuttle launch, causing the O-ring seal to become brittle and ultimately fail, leading to a catastrophic explosion. All Weather continues to play a critical role in NASA's strict 'launch commit criteria,' and if anything is near or outside the safe range, the launch is delayed or scrubbed for another day. Here's a look at an example weather checklist when considering safe conditions to launch. An example of the weather checklist utilized to proceed or delay a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral. NASA Ken Mahan can be reached at
France 24
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Queer astronaut documentary takes on new meaning in Trump's US
But the story of astronaut Sally Ride, whose queer identity was a secret when she blasted off more than four decades ago, took on a "completely different meaning" after the re-election of President Donald Trump, Costantini told AFP. "When we started making the film, it didn't seem all that political to celebrate queer love or women astronauts," said the director of "Sally", which started streaming on Disney+ in many countries on Tuesday. "Just a few years ago, there was a pride flag that flew in space, and (NASA) had vowed the next person on the Moon would be a woman." But that vow has now been removed from NASA's website, just one of many changes at the US space agency since Trump returned to the White House in January. "Employees have been asked to remove symbols of gay pride, pride flags, trans visibility flags," Costantini said. Now, the director hopes the documentary "serves as a reminder that these rights are not guaranteed, that they were hard fought and they were won by people like Sally" and her partner Tam. "It's our responsibility to carry the torch and continue the fight for equality." 'It was hard on her' After boarding the Challenger space shuttle on June 18, 1983, Ride became the first US woman to fly to space. It was two decades after Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made the voyage. NASA only started allowing women to apply as astronaut recruits in 1977. Ride, who had a PhD in astrophysics from Stanford University and was an accomplished tennis player, was one of six women selected out of more than 8,000 applicants in the class of 1978. Ride received the same training as male astronauts, but was treated quite differently. Journalists asked whether she cried when facing difficulty. NASA engineers asked about what make-up she would need in space. They even worried whether 100 tampons would be enough for her six-day journey into space. "I felt the women hadn't paid their dues like we had," Mike Mullane, another astronaut in the class of 1978, said in the documentary. When Ride returned to Earth, the image of the 32-year-old in her blue jumpsuit, curly chestnut hair, piercing blue eyes and confident smile was seen around the world. But Ride struggled to come to terms with her new status as icon. "It was too much for her," Tam O'Shaughnessy, who was Ride's partner for 27 years, told AFP. "She was an introvert and it was hard on her." The two women founded a nonprofit dedicated to teaching girls science. But the world would only learn they were in a relationship until after Ride's death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 61 in 2012. "Sally did not like labels," O'Shaughnessy said. "She was a queer woman. And so I think it's great that she's sort of become a part of the (LGBTQ+) community after death." O'Shaughnessy expressed concern at reports that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to change the name of a Navy ship currently named after famous gay activist Harvey Milk. "There's a research vessel called 'Sally Ride' and it crossed my mind that might change, too" she said. "It's just shocking. All of this is hard to swallow." © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Queer Astronaut Documentary Takes On New Meaning In Trump's US
When director Cristina Costantini started making a documentary about the first US woman in space, she thought it would be looking back on the "sexism and homophobia of yesteryear". But the story of astronaut Sally Ride, whose queer identity was a secret when she blasted off more than four decades ago, took on a "completely different meaning" after the re-election of President Donald Trump, Costantini told AFP. "When we started making the film, it didn't seem all that political to celebrate queer love or women astronauts," said the director of "Sally", which started streaming on Disney+ in many countries on Tuesday. "Just a few years ago, there was a pride flag that flew in space, and (NASA) had vowed the next person on the Moon would be a woman." But that vow has now been removed from NASA's website, just one of many changes at the US space agency since Trump returned to the White House in January. "Employees have been asked to remove symbols of gay pride, pride flags, trans visibility flags," Costantini said. Now, the director hopes the documentary "serves as a reminder that these rights are not guaranteed, that they were hard fought and they were won by people like Sally" and her partner Tam. "It's our responsibility to carry the torch and continue the fight for equality." After boarding the Challenger space shuttle on June 18, 1983, Ride became the first US woman to fly to space. It was two decades after Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made the voyage. NASA only started allowing women to apply as astronaut recruits in 1977. Ride, who had a PhD in astrophysics from Stanford University and was an accomplished tennis player, was one of six women selected out of more than 8,000 applicants in the class of 1978. Ride received the same training as male astronauts, but was treated quite differently. Journalists asked whether she cried when facing difficulty. NASA engineers asked about what make-up she would need in space. They even worried whether 100 tampons would be enough for her six-day journey into space. "I felt the women hadn't paid their dues like we had," Mike Mullane, another astronaut in the class of 1978, said in the documentary. When Ride returned to Earth, the image of the 32-year-old in her blue jumpsuit, curly chestnut hair, piercing blue eyes and confident smile was seen around the world. But Ride struggled to come to terms with her new status as icon. "It was too much for her," Tam O'Shaughnessy, who was Ride's partner for 27 years, told AFP. "She was an introvert and it was hard on her." The two women founded a nonprofit dedicated to teaching girls science. But the world would only learn they were in a relationship until after Ride's death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 61 in 2012. "Sally did not like labels," O'Shaughnessy said. "She was a queer woman. And so I think it's great that she's sort of become a part of the (LGBTQ+) community after death." O'Shaughnessy expressed concern at reports that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to change the name of a Navy ship currently named after famous gay activist Harvey Milk. "There's a research vessel called 'Sally Ride' and it crossed my mind that might change, too" she said. "It's just shocking. All of this is hard to swallow." The documentary about Ride, bottom left, took on a different meaning after Trump's re-election, according to its makers AFP The world only learned that Sally Ride was queer after her death from cancer in 2012 AFP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Queer astronaut documentary takes on new meaning in Trump's US
When director Cristina Costantini started making a documentary about the first US woman in space, she thought it would be looking back on the "sexism and homophobia of yesteryear". But the story of astronaut Sally Ride, whose queer identity was a secret when she blasted off more than four decades ago, took on a "completely different meaning" after the re-election of President Donald Trump, Costantini told AFP. "When we started making the film, it didn't seem all that political to celebrate queer love or women astronauts," said the director of "Sally", which started streaming on Disney+ in many countries on Tuesday. "Just a few years ago, there was a pride flag that flew in space, and (NASA) had vowed the next person on the Moon would be a woman." But that vow has now been removed from NASA's website, just one of many changes at the US space agency since Trump returned to the White House in January. "Employees have been asked to remove symbols of gay pride, pride flags, trans visibility flags," Costantini said. Now, the director hopes the documentary "serves as a reminder that these rights are not guaranteed, that they were hard fought and they were won by people like Sally" and her partner Tam. "It's our responsibility to carry the torch and continue the fight for equality." - 'It was hard on her' - After boarding the Challenger space shuttle on June 18, 1983, Ride became the first US woman to fly to space. It was two decades after Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made the voyage. NASA only started allowing women to apply as astronaut recruits in 1977. Ride, who had a PhD in astrophysics from Stanford University and was an accomplished tennis player, was one of six women selected out of more than 8,000 applicants in the class of 1978. Ride received the same training as male astronauts, but was treated quite differently. Journalists asked whether she cried when facing difficulty. NASA engineers asked about what make-up she would need in space. They even worried whether 100 tampons would be enough for her six-day journey into space. "I felt the women hadn't paid their dues like we had," Mike Mullane, another astronaut in the class of 1978, said in the documentary. When Ride returned to Earth, the image of the 32-year-old in her blue jumpsuit, curly chestnut hair, piercing blue eyes and confident smile was seen around the world. But Ride struggled to come to terms with her new status as icon. "It was too much for her," Tam O'Shaughnessy, who was Ride's partner for 27 years, told AFP. "She was an introvert and it was hard on her." The two women founded a nonprofit dedicated to teaching girls science. But the world would only learn they were in a relationship until after Ride's death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 61 in 2012. "Sally did not like labels," O'Shaughnessy said. "She was a queer woman. And so I think it's great that she's sort of become a part of the (LGBTQ+) community after death." O'Shaughnessy expressed concern at reports that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to change the name of a Navy ship currently named after famous gay activist Harvey Milk. "There's a research vessel called 'Sally Ride' and it crossed my mind that might change, too" she said. "It's just shocking. All of this is hard to swallow." ber/dl/jxb
