Ellen Ochoa Story

Grade 3 Social Studies Unit: 08 Lesson: 02 The Story of Ellen Ochoa

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ochoa.html Ellen Ochoa was born in 1958 in California. She remembers that she was 11 when man first walked on the moon. In school she loved math and science and she played the flute. At that time, she dreamed of becoming a musician. When Ellen Ochoa was in high school she said that other students teased her because she really liked science class. Because of her hard work and her love of science, today she is Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go into space and an inventor. Dr. Ochoa had a great deal of college education. She first earned a degree in physics from San Diego State University in 1980; then she earned a Master of Science and a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

“When I was growing up, I never considered being an astronaut as an option, because when I was growing up there were no female astronauts. It wasn't until the first six female astronauts were selected in 1978 that women could even think of it as a possible career path. I remember especially Sally Ride.” In an interview she said, “Being an astronaut isn't just the science… An astronaut must be both a team player and a leader as well. Students should get involved in activities where you work closely with other people – because working closely with other people is an essential part of being an astronaut!” She urged students to look to teachers for help.

Many astronauts like to invent ways to make things better. Ellen Ochoa is one of those astronauts who is also an inventor. Her inventions include optical recognition systems, computer hardware, and robot guiding

Ochoa was excited to be selected by NASA in January 1990 to be an astronaut. After a year of training she became an astronaut in July 1991. Her first flight was in 1993 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. She flew again in 1994, 1999, and 2002. From her experiences, Dr. Ochoa highly recommends teamwork. "Whenever we accomplished a mission, it was very rewarding," she remembered. "Everyone feels great, even when they make a little contribution." Ellen Ochoa explained, “I have worked the robot arm on all three of my space missions, and I really love it. It's challenging to do, but lots of fun. On my last mission to the space station I worked with the help of cameras and monitors because we were docked in a way that prevented me from seeing the robot arm. This made things more difficult, but then again, everything I've done on actual missions in space has always been easier than when I first tried it during training.” When asked about floating in zero gravity, she answered, “Weightlessness is the fun part of the mission. There is really nothing to compare it to on Earth. I guess the closest thing would be swimming or scuba diving. It's a similar freedom of movement. What is odd is that weightlessness seems more natural. You don't have the same kinds of sensations in space as you do in the water.” For sleeping on the shuttle she recalled, “On my last mission we slept in a single shift… the compartments we slept in can best be described as a sleeping bag with hooks. You would find a place to hook on to, and float in.” “Most of the food the astronauts eat now is freeze-dried. All we do is add hot water. We eat a variety of foods, including nuts, granola, cookies, dried fruit, and tortillas. We have drinks that we add water to as well.” Ochoa is a mother as well. In space, she stayed connected to her family through email and video chats. She once had to wish one of her kids a happy birthday from space. Whatever the sacrifices and hard work, Ochoa said, “It has all been worth it.” She says the key to success is to never stop learning. My mother influenced me the most. Her primary focus was the enjoyment of learning. That's what I got from her example. Ochoa was a trail blazer for Hispanic women. She became the first Hispanic woman in the world to go to space when she served on a nine- day mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1993. The astronauts were

©2012, TESCCC 05/02/13 page 2 of 3 Grade 3 Social Studies Unit: 08 Lesson: 02 studying the Earth's ozone layer. Her Hispanic roots come from her father's side. His parents were born in Mexico, and he was born in the United States. Dr. Ochoa has advice for those who want to achieve a goal, no matter how difficult. "If you are interested in something, you still need to learn other things," she said. "Try hard if you really want it.”

Honors and Awards: In her honor, Pasco School District # 1 in Pasco, Washington, and Ellen Ochoa Elementary School in Cudahy, CA named schools after her Ochoa was recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month activities in Cleveland, Ohio on September 14, 2011. Dr. Ellen Ochoa is married to Coe Fulmer Miles, and they have two children. SPECIAL HONORS: NASA awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Exceptional Service Medal, Outstanding Leadership Medal, and four Space Flight Medals. Recipient of numerous other awards, including the Harvard Foundation Science Award, Women in Aerospace Outstanding Achievement Award, The Hispanic Engineer Albert Baez Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution to Humanity, the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award, and San Diego State University Alumna of the Year

Photo credit: NASA. (Photographer). (2002). Jsc2002-e-08185. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts- 110/html/jsc2002e08185.html