>> reporter: later during the investigation in to the "challenger" explosion, it was ride who acquired and leaked a key document showing that nasa management had prior knowledge of the faulty equipment believed to have led to the disaster. >> what do you conclude, based on all of these surprising things you learned about her? >> she was the person i thought she was but she was much more. >> reporter: a public life that has so many more private layers. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> pretty incredible revelations. she was really so much more. >> she must have been an inspiration to you growing up. >> she was. i remember learning about her in the second grade. we were all making spaceships and stuff. she's a inspiration. >> 32 years old and became the first woman in space. apparently a southern california girl with an imperfect gpa. she wasn't a straight "a" student. she left her undergraduate program to try to become a tennis pro. did you know that? >> i didn't know that. >> she had game. >> a heck of a lot for a young girl. >> remarkable.