(CNN) It's been 36 years since the world witnessed a giant leap for womankind. June 18th marks the 36th anniversary of astronaut Sally Ride's famous trip into space.

At just 32 years old, Ride was the first American woman , and the youngest American, to leave the atmosphere when she boarded the Space Shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983.

Ride is seen talking with ground control during her six-day space mission on board the Callenger in 1983.

During the six-day mission, she worked as a mission specialist using the shuttle's robotic arm to deploy communications satellites.

Her career as an astronaut began as she was completing her Ph.D. in astrophysics at Stanford University.

In 1977, NASA displayed an ad in her school's student newspaper inviting women to apply for the space program, prompting Ride to send a 40-word letter asking for an application. She ended up beating out more than 1,000 other applicants, and was one of six women selected to the astronaut program.

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