Ellen Ochoa, physicist, scientist and NASA astronaut, was the first woman of Hispanic origin to have traveled to space. Although her parents were also born in the United States, her grandparents were Mexicans from Sonora.
Ochoa was born in Los Angeles, California on May 10, 1958. She graduated with a degree in physics from San Diego State University in 1980. As a PhD student in electrical engineering at Stanford University and a researcher at the Sandia National Laboratory and NASA’s Ames Research Center, Ochoa specialized in optical systems for processing information and became the co-inventor of three patents related to that field, contributions that were essential in the space missions of which Ochoa was also part.
Ochoa served in a nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1993, being the first mission in space she participated in, and with it she became the first woman of Hispanic origin to travel to space. She flew a total of 4 missions, serving as a flight engineer (during the launch, rendezvous, and entry phases of each mission), as a robotic arm operator, and as a leader of scientific experiments. In total, she spent nearly 1,000 hours in space from 1993 to 2002.
She is a member of the Optical Society of America and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronomy. Ellen Ochoa’s career includes special NASA honors for her contributions to aerospace programs:
- Exceptional Service Medal (1997),
- Outstanding Leadership Medal (1995),
- NASA Space Flight Medals (1993-1994-1999)
- Dos Premios Espaciales Técnicos (1992).
- The Hispanic Engineer Albert Báez Award
- In addition, she received the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award and the “Student of the Year” award from San Diego State University.
Ochoa was featured in the book “Women In Space Who Changed The World” by Sonia Gueldenpfennig and said the following: “I can only imagine the awe and pride that my grandparents, who were born in Mexico in the 1870s, would have felt knowing that their granddaughter grew up to travel to space. They came to the United States to raise their family. Along with my mother’s passion for learning, I had the opportunity and motivation to educate myself and set myself high goals.”
In 2013, Ochoa became the 11th director of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She was the second woman to hold this prestigious position, and the first one of Latino origin. She guided more than 10,000 public officials and contractors at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to take an agile, change-adaptive approach to advancing human space exploration, while launching initiatives designed to expand diversity and inclusion. Since 2017 her name is in the Astronaut Hall of Fame of the United States, where she accompanies legends such as Neil Armstrong and John Glenn.
She retired from NASA in 2018 after a 30-year career. Currently, she leverages her years of experience in strategic development, risk management, and governance gained during her career at NASA, providing executive guidance to organizations including corporate boards and the National Science Board.
Ochoa strives to inspire women and minorities to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, an area that is growing exponentially due to the high demand in the labor field, and to continue the search for how to bring humanity into tune with new discoveries. Six schools have been named after Ochoa, who has also been profiled in numerous K-8 textbooks and websites, sharing her experiences in more than 300 presentations to audiences around the world.
Ellen Ochoa’s dedication and efforts has led her to possess a success beyond the stars. Her achievements and many recognitions earned worldwide make Ochoa a source of pride for the entire Latino community.
References:
Ellen Ochoa – Education, NASA & Facts – Biography
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