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Ellen Ochoa

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description Ellen Ochoa Overview

Ellen Ochoa is an American astronaut, electrical engineer, and former director of the NASA Johnson Space Center. In 1993, she made history as the first Hispanic woman to travel to space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. During her career at NASA, Ochoa logged nearly 1,000 hours in space across four different Space Shuttle missions, contributing to atmospheric research and the initial construction of the International Space Station. Prior to joining the astronaut corps, she conducted research in optical information processing and co-holds three patents in the field.

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When did Ellen Ochoa first go to space?

Ellen Ochoa made history in 1993 as the first Hispanic woman to travel to space. She served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-56 mission to study the Earth's ozone layer.

What did Ellen Ochoa do before becoming an astronaut?

Before joining NASA, Ochoa was an electrical engineer who co-invented three patents related to optical information processing systems. Her engineering research at Sandia National Laboratories focused on robotic vision and automated target recognition.

How many space missions did Ellen Ochoa fly?

Ochoa logged nearly 1,000 hours in space across four separate Space Shuttle missions between 1993 and 2002. Her later flights included STS-66, STS-96, and STS-110, which helped construct the International Space Station.

What leadership role did Ellen Ochoa hold at NASA?

Following her astronaut career, Ochoa became the second female director of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. She served in this role from 2013 until her retirement in 2018, overseeing human spaceflight operations.