Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath 
her unflappable composure, she carried a secret. Sally’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, 
reveals their hidden romance and the sacrifices that accompanied her 27 years together with Sally, telling the full story of this complicated and iconic astronaut for the first time. In addition to Tam O’ Shaughnessy, SALLY features acclaimed tennis star and groundbreaking advocate for women and LGBTQ+ rights, Billie Jean King, as well as 
celebrated astronauts from Sally Ride’s NASA class of 1978: Kathy Sullivan, Anna Fisher, John Fabian and Steve Hawley, who is Sally’s ex-husband. Additional participants include Sally’s sister Bear Ride and mother Joyce Ride, along 
with journalist and Sally’s friend, Lynn Sherr. SALLY premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. To quote SALLY director Cristina Costantini, “I can’t
recall the exact moment that Sally Ride, the first American woman to go to space, first captured my imagination, but I know that I’ve been obsessed with her story from a very young age.” Director and Producer Cristina Costantini joins us to talk about life and the times that Sally Ride had to navigate, whether it be the ultra alpha male culture of NASA or an American public not ready to hear that the first American women in space was not “All American” and the impact those challenges had on Sally and her relationship with Tam and the people she loved.
For more go to: nationalgeographic.com
Premieres on National Geographic Channel Monday, June 16th at: 9:00pm ET / 8:00pm CT / 9:00pm PT
Streams on Disney+ and Hulu Tuesday, June 17th
About the filmmaker – Director, Producer and Writer Cristina Costantini returns to Sundance this January with her third feature documentary, SALLY, based on the life of Sally Ride. She was previously at the 2018 Sundance Festival with her debut film “Science Fair” about the competitive world of high school science fairs (co-directed with Darren Foster) and the 2020 Sundance Festival with “Mucho Mucho Amor” (co-directed with Kareem Tabsch). “Science Fair” won the Festival Favorite Award at Sundance and was acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films. After it captured the hearts and minds of viewers at festivals across the world, it went on to win an Emmy, spawn a spin-off series, and inspire future generations of scientists. “Mucho Mucho Amor” was purchased by Netflix at the festival in 2020 and went on to nominations from the News & Documentary Emmys as well as being honored as Best Documentary of the Year by the Imagen Foundation Awards and the Latino Entertainment Journalist Association Film Awards. SALLY marks a full circle moment for the director as she considered herself a science nerd as a kid and has idolized Sally Ride her entire life, even painting a mural on the wall of her elementary school in Sally’s honor. Costantini got her start as an award-winning investigative journalist, covering detention centers, immigration, and the opioid crisis. She has received numerous awards from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists for her work, as well as a DuPont Award and several Emmy nominations. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Costantini is a graduate of Yale University. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband Alfie, daughter Penny, and elderly pug dog Harriet.
About the filmmaker – Film participant and Executive Producer Dr. Tam O’Shaughnessy is an educator, writer and former professional tennis player who joined with her life partner, trailblazing astronaut Sally Ride, to cofound the science education company Sally Ride Science. Growing up in Southern California, Tam competed in junior tennis under the coaching and mentorship of Billie Jean King, then a rising star. Tam was 12 when she met Sally at a tournament, and they became fast friends. Tam played tennis professionally from 1971 to 1974, on the first-ever women’s pro tour, competing at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and ranking as high as No. 52 in the world. Tam reconnected with her girlhood friend Sally, then in the spotlight as America’s first woman in space. The two began a romantic relationship that lasted 27 years until Sally’s death from pancreatic cancer in 2012. After Sally retired from NASA, she and Tam moved back to California, where Sally became a physics professor at the University of California San Diego. In 2001, Tam and Sally teamed up with three colleagues to start Sally Ride Science. Their goal was to create innovative programs and publications to spark the interest of girls and boys of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and to inspire them to envision themselves as scientists and engineers. Sally Ride Science carries on its mission as a nonprofit based at UC San Diego, with Tam serving as executive director. In 2026, Sally Ride Science will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Tam has written 14 books for young readers, including “The Third Planet,” co-written with Sally, which won the 1995 American Institute of Physics Children’s Science Writing Award, and “Sally Ride: A Photo-biography of America’s Pioneering Woman in Space,” which was nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature.
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“We need to recognize Ride as one of the great Americans of the 20th century. Sally is a step in the right direction.” – Alan French, Sunshine State Cineplex
“At its core “Sally” skillfully weaves together a love story of space, women and equality while dispelling myths around sexuality, skill and what can happen when you just hire the best person for the job.” – Carla Renata, The Curvy Film Critic
“An inspiring tale of a woman breaking one of the tallest glass ceilings for her field but feels immensely tragic.” – Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com
“While Ride and O’ Shaughnessy never wed, [her] candor here marries a spectacular professional saga with the personal love story convincingly.” – Lisa Kennedy, Variety
“The documentary includes eye-opening interviews with family members and former astronauts and archival video of Ride herself, to create an engaging, socially relevant portrait of an American heroine and of the culture.” – Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter
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