Dr.  Ellen   Ochoa

 

 

Date of Birth

Born May 10, 1958 in Los Angeles, California

Childhood / Family

Ellen Ochoa has always regarded the suburban San Diego community of La Mesa as her hometown. She, her sister, and three brothers grew up in a single-parent household headed by her mother, Rosanne. Her mother and father divorced when she was a junior in High School.  Her husband is Coe Fumer Miles and they have two sons.

Education

She went to San Diego State University.  She got a bachelor science degree in physics in 1980.

Occupation

Engineer, technologist, Astronaut, scientist, and electrical engineer.

Space Training / Specialty

She began as a researcher, become a supervisor, and in 1999 she became one of the 23 new astronauts.

Contribution to Space Travel

First Hispanic American woman in space.

First to play the flute in space.

Space Missions

Discovery in April 1993 – studied the Earth’s ozone layer

 

Outside Activities

Classical flutist, a private pilot, and enjoys volleyball and bicycling

Interesting Fact(s)

Can you talk to your family from space?
Yes, thanks to e-mail, when I am in space my husband and I are able to communicate every day - which is very nice. And on missions lasting more than 10 days we are allowed to visit with each other by having a video conference from space.

Status

 

Images

Ellen Ochoa         Ellen Ochoa  

Links

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ochoa.html

http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/ochoa.html

http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/ochoa_ellen.htm

http://www.gale.com/free_resources/chh/bio/ochoa_e.htm

http://www.atomicmuseum.com/tour/sc1.cfm

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/ochoatscript.htm

http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/ochoa/ochoa_bio.html

 

 

Back