Ellen Ochoa 1958–
First Female Hispanic Astronaut
Ellen Ochoa grew up in La Mesa, California. Her favorite subjects in school were math and science. Growing up, Ochoa thought about becoming a professional flute player or a businessperson. Her mother told her that education was important, though, so Ochoa earned degrees in physics and electrical engineering. She has created inventions that can be used with robotics.
In 1983, Sally Ride became the first female astronaut in the United States. This inspired Ochoa, and in 1990, she became the first Hispanic woman astronaut. Ochoa has been on four space flights. On the first flight, her job was to study the sun. She used a satellite to take pictures of the sun.
Ochoa has won awards from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for her work. In addition, she loves to play the flute and has played with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra.
Critical Thinking
What character traits would you use to describe Ellen Ochoa? Explain your answer.