Ochoa joins Hall of Fame
Career of first Hispanic female in space honored as inspiration
Ellen Ochoa’s nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1993 was one for the history books.
That’s because during that voyage, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to visit space, one of many highlights from the storied career of the current director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
On May 19, Ochoa will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, along with C. Michael Foale, at the Kennedy Space Center.
“I’m honored to be recognized among generations of astronauts who were at the forefront of exploring our universe for the benefit of humankind,” Ochoa said. “I hope to continue to inspire our nation’s youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math so they, too, may reach for the stars.”
Ochoa joined NASA in 1988 as a research engineer at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Calif. She moved to JSC in 1990 when she was selected as an astronaut candidate. After completing training, she served on the STS-56 mission aboard Discovery, conducting atmospheric studies to better understand the effect of solar activity on the Earth’s climate and environment. She has flown in space four times, including STS-66, STS-96 and STS-110, logging nearly 1,000 hours in orbit.
She is JSC’s first Hispanic director and its second female director. Her previous management roles include JSC deputy director and JSC director of flight crew operations.
And here’s a fun fact: Five schools have been named after Ochoa. Two of them are in California, her home state.