Ellen Ochoa

Infobox Astronaut
name =Ellen Lauri Ochoa

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type =Astronaut
nationality =American
date_birth =May 10, 1958
place_birth =Los Angeles, California
occupation =Engineer
selection =1990 NASA Group
time =40d 19h 37m
mission =STS-56, STS-66, STS-96, STS-110
insignia =|

Ellen Lauri Ochoa (born May 10, 1958) is a former astronaut and current director of flight crew operations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. After STS-120 she will take over as Deputy Director of the Johnson Space Center. [ [http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/sep/HQ_07194_Ochoa_Named_JSC_Deputy_Director.html NASA - NASA Names Astronaut Ellen Ochoa Deputy Director of Johnson ] ]

Early life

Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10, 1958 in Los Angeles, California, but considers La Mesa, California to be her hometown. She graduated from Grossmont High School, La Mesa, California, in 1975. Ellen received a bachelor of science degree in physics from San Diego State University in 1980, a master of science degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1981 and 1985, respectively(1). Her parents got divorced when she was in high school and so she lived with her mother, three brothers and one sister. Ellen Ochoa has won numerous awards for her success as an engineer, an astronaut, and a role model not just for Hispanic or young female scientists, but for anyone who believes that excellence will find its recognition and reward. She became an honorary member of Mortar Board Senior Honor Society in 1995.

Research career

As a pioneer of spacecraft technology, she patented an optical system to detect defects in a repeating pattern. At the NASA Ames Research Center, she led a research group working primarily on optical systems for automated space exploration.

As a doctoral student at Stanford, and later as a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA Ames Research Center, Ochoa investigated optical system for performing information processing.

Ochoa is a co-inventor on three patents for an optical inspection system, an optical object recognition method, and a method for noise removal in images. As Chief of the Intelligent Systems Technology Branch at Ames, she supervised the 35 engineers scientists in the research and development of computational systems for aerospace missions. Ochoa has presented numerous papers at technical conferences and in scientific journals.

NASA career

Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman in space [ [http://www.britannica.com/hispanic_heritage/browse?browseId=251042 Guide to Hispanic Heritage ] ] [ [http://www.spacetoday.org/History/ManInSpaceFirsts/ManyPeoples.html Space Today Online - Man In Space Firsts - table of contents ] ] when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1993. The astronauts were studying the earth's ozone layer.

Ochoa was selected by NASA in January 1990 and became an astronaut in July 1991. Her technical assignments in the Astronaut Office includes serving as the crew representative for flight software, computer hardware and robotics, Assistant for Space Station to the Chief of the Astronaut Office, lead spacecraft communicator(CAPCOM) in Mission Control, and as acting as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. She is currently Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations, helping to manage and direct the Astronaut Office and Aircraft Operations, and is not planning to go on any more missions. A veteran of four Space flights, Ochoa has logged over 978 hours in space. She was a mission specialist on STS-56, was payload commander on STS-66, and was mission specialist and flight engineer on STS-96 and STS-110. [cite web
title = Astronaut Bio: Ellen Ochoa
publisher = NASA
date = 2006-10
url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ochoa.html
accessdate = 2007-01-25 ] [ [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/ochoa_ellen.htm spacefacts biography of Ellen Ochoa] ]

Ellen Ochoa Learning Center

On June 9, 2006, Ochoa attended the naming ceremony for a school named after her. Ellen Ochoa Learning Center is a Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade school in BELL Cudahy, California, United States, which is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Students and staff at the school chose the name because Ochoa is an inspirational role model for students. Ochoa toured the campus and talked to students about her experiences with NASA and the importance of education. Students treated her to an assembly that included speakers, dances and songs.

References