Brevard County commissioners are asking state leaders to honor the legacy of Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, by renaming a bridge on State Road 405.

The proposed name for the NASA Causeway is “Dr. Sally Ride Memorial Bridge” in recognition of her achievements and contributions to science and exploration. Ride flew aboard Challenger in 1983, becoming the first American woman to go into space.

During her second mission with Challenger three years later, she deployed Tracking and Data Relay System satellite using a robotic arm from the shuttle – which re-entered Earth’s atmosphere this past weekend near Alaska after decades orbiting our planet.

She left NASA in 1987 to teach at University of California San Diego before being inducted into Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2003; sadly passing away nine years later at age 61 due to pancreatic cancer complications.

The meeting for discussion on Tuesday is scheduled for 5 p.m., where Brevard County Commission will ask state legislators if they will accept their proposal and rename the bridge after one of America’s most beloved astronauts: Dr Sally Ride