America's first female astronaut gave partner permission to reveal 27-year romance before dying

At one point in time, Sally Ride was one of the most famous people in America, but behind the scenes, she was keeping parts of her life secret.

The first American woman to travel into space will be featured in a new documentary, "Sally," which will debut on National Geographic today, June 16, and be available for streaming on Disney starting June 17. 

It tells the complete story of Sally Ride, and while her NASA career and historic spaceflights are well documented, Sally draws back the curtain on her private life, particularly her long-term romance with Tam O’Shaughnessy.

O’Shaughnessy, Ride’s partner of 27 years, serves as the documentary’s primary narrator, offering intimate insights from their childhood friendship to their decades-long relationship.

In a poignant moment recounted in the film, Ride gave O’Shaughnessy permission just ten days before her 2012 death to speak openly about their bond.

"Ten days before she died, I asked her how I should be to the public," O’Shaughnessy told People.

"I was holding sort of a public celebration of her life, and then a national tribute at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. And it was like, ‘So who am I?’

"Our friends and family knew, and people guessed. It didn’t feel honest," she continues.

"She told me, you decide what you want to say, how open you want to be about our relationship."

Without many photos of their private life, the film employs reenactments based on O’Shaughnessy’s memories to recreate key moments.

These are interwoven with archival footage and animation to explore both Ride’s public achievements and her concealed identity. 

The film delves into how Ride strategically navigated media biases, even entering a brief marriage to fellow astronaut Steve Hawley to avoid press scrutiny and how space became both an escape from society.

After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, "Sally" is praised for offering a full portrait of an American heroine: celebrated, complex, brave…and deeply human.

You can watch the trailer for "Sally" here:

* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.