How many little girls had ever wanted to be astronauts?

More than the number of girls that want their only accomplishment in life to be breeding.

For all the fanfare that once surrounded it, Ride’s story will likely fade into history and her life ultimately inspire very few girls.

If her story falls into the obscurity of history, at least she had her moment in the Sun where millions know about her and her story. You? I don't even know who the fuck you are and I really don't care. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it certainly doesn't inspire future generations. Besides, how the hell is a historical first ever going to go into obscurity? Barrack Obama, despite how the rest of his political career goes will ALWAYS be remembered as the first black president. And Sally Ride, in the same way, will ALWAYS be remembered as the first female astronaut.

as Ride’s obituary proved, she did not lead a full life. Ride was in a lesbian relationship with a childhood friend for 27 years

The only one that knows if Sally Ride led a full life is Sally Ride and she's dead now so kindly shut the fuck up. You have no right to judge her life as she has lived a much more meaningful life than you can possibly imagine. She made history, lived out her dreams, and likely loved her partner. Just because she wasn't a breeding machine doesn't mean she didn't have a good life.

The only good reason for a normal woman to go through the grueling rigors of becoming an astronaut is that NASA is a great place to meet men.

Really? REALLY?!? Have you ever SEEN outer space? Or does your husband not let you? Even from pictures I can tell that it must be an amazing experience and given how little justice photos do to the places they capture I can only imagine that space is many times more wonderful to experience in person. You want a hookup? Go get a match.com account.

She never looked up at the stars with her own children and encouraged their wonder.

No, she saw the stars from where few people have ever seen them. Just about any person in the world can make babies and look at the sky. It's the rare and historic figure that explores the sky and gives the people on the ground stories to tell their kids.

She never gave a man such necessary and life-sustaining love that he was able to do great things, such as fly into space.

...

The vast majority of women would sooner love an astronaut than be one.

WHY? She was able to experience that for herself. Why the fuck would it be better for her to be cheering from the sidelines when she has a chance to be a star?

And given that most men are destined to perform inglorious jobs for most of their lives, women will come to see that the dream of conquering space rightly belongs to men.

First of all, you're a sexist pig. Second, how are men supposed to conquer space without women? The ultimate plan is to establish permanent colonies in space. How do you do that without women? Last I checked men do not reproduce asexually.