Sally Ride, first woman in space, dies at 61

LOS ANGELES -- The first American woman to fly in space has died.

Sally Ride had been battling pancreatic cancer for the past 17 months. Ride first launched into space in 1983 on the seventh U.S. space shuttle mission.

She's also known for inspiring generations of young people, especially girls to go into the sciences.

Ride was just 61 years old.