Ellen Ochoa , born on May 10, 1958, is an American administrator and former astronaut. In 1993, she became the first Hispanic woman to travel to space. She earned advanced degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University and specialized in optical systems, contributing to patented inventions at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA's Ames Research Center. Selected by NASA in 1990, Ochoa's first space mission was aboard the Discovery in 1993, where she conducted experiments studying the Sun and Earth's atmosphere. She participated in three subsequent spaceflights, including the first docking to the International Space Station in 1999. In 2007, Ochoa became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center and was promoted to director in 2013, becoming the second woman and first Hispanic to hold the position. She retired in 2018 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.

What is Ellen Ochoa best known for?

Ellen Ochoa is best known as the first Hispanic woman to travel into space in 1993, when she served as a mission specialist aboard the STS-56 mission of the space shuttle Discovery. During this mission, she and other mission specialists conducted experiments to study the Sun and its interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. The crew also launched the SPARTAN satellite to study solar wind. Ochoa went on to participate in three more spaceflights, including the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS) in 1999. In 2013, she became the director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, being the second woman and first Hispanic to hold the post.

What was Ellen Ochoa's role at NASA?

Ellen Ochoa's career at NASA included roles as a research engineer, astronaut, and administrator. As a research engineer, she developed optical systems and methods, earning multiple patents. Selected as an astronaut in 1990, she became the first Hispanic woman in space in 1993 on the STS-56 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery , where she studied the Sun and Earth's atmosphere. She participated in three subsequent spaceflights, including the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS) in 1999. In 2007, Ochoa became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center and, in 2013, its director, being the first Hispanic and second woman in that role. During her time as director, she oversaw work on the Orion.

What important 'first' did Ellen Ochoa accomplish as an astronaut?

Ellen Ochoa is an American engineer, former astronaut, and administrator. NASA selected Ochoa to participate in its astronaut program in 1990; she completed her training in 1991. In April 1993, aboard the STS-56 mission of the space shuttle Discovery , Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to travel into space. During this mission, she and other mission specialists performed experiments that studied the Sun and its interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. The crew also released the SPARTAN satellite, which studied the solar wind for two days before it was retrieved.

What kind of work did Ellen Ochoa do during her space missions?

During her space missions, Ellen Ochoa made significant contributions. On the STS-56 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1993, she and other mission specialists conducted experiments that studied the Sun and its interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. She also assisted with the deployment and retrieval of satellites. Ochoa returned to space several times. In 1994, she flew on the STS-66 Atlantis mission, which also studied Earth’s atmosphere. In 1999, she joined the Discovery STS-96 crew, which performed the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS). During this mission, she used Discovery’s robotic arm to assist with a nearly eight-hour spacewalk. In 2002, on the STS-110 mission of the shuttle Atlantis , Ochoa utilized the station’s robotic arm to install the first truss of the ISS frame.

How did Ellen Ochoa make an impact as an administrator at NASA?

Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space (1993), also made significant contributions as an administrator at NASA. She became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in 2007, and in 2013, she was promoted to director, becoming the second woman and first Hispanic to hold the post. During her time as director, Ochoa oversaw work on the Orion, a spacecraft designed for crewed missions to destinations like Mars. She retired from the Johnson Space Center in 2018 and later became vice chair and then chair of the National Science Board (NSB).

Ellen Ochoa

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Ellen Ochoa and Donald R. McMonagle in space.

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Born:: May 10, 1958, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (age 68)

Awards And Honors:: Presidential Medal of Freedom (2024)

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Ellen Ochoa

American astronaut and administrator

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Who is Ellen Ochoa?
Ellen Ochoa, born on May 10, 1958, is an American administrator and former astronaut. In 1993, she became the first Hispanic woman to travel to space. She earned advanced degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University and specialized in optical systems, contributing to patented inventions at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA's Ames Research Center.

Selected by NASA in 1990, Ochoa's first space mission was aboard the Discovery in 1993, where she conducted experiments studying the Sun and Earth's atmosphere. She participated in three subsequent spaceflights, including the first docking to the International Space Station in 1999. In 2007, Ochoa became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center and was promoted to director in 2013, becoming the second woman and first Hispanic to hold the position. She retired in 2018 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.
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1. Ellen Ochoa
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What is Ellen Ochoa best known for?
Ellen Ochoa is best known as the first Hispanic woman to travel into space in 1993, when she served as a mission specialist aboard the STS-56 mission of the space shuttle Discovery. During this mission, she and other mission specialists conducted experiments to study the Sun and its interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. The crew also launched the SPARTAN satellite to study solar wind.

Ochoa went on to participate in three more spaceflights, including the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS) in 1999. In 2013, she became the director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, being the second woman and first Hispanic to hold the post.
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1. Ellen Ochoa
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What was Ellen Ochoa's role at NASA?
Ellen Ochoa's career at NASA included roles as a research engineer, astronaut, and administrator. As a research engineer, she developed optical systems and methods, earning multiple patents. Selected as an astronaut in 1990, she became the first Hispanic woman in space in 1993 on the STS-56 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery, where she studied the Sun and Earth's atmosphere. She participated in three subsequent spaceflights, including the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS) in 1999. In 2007, Ochoa became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center and, in 2013, its director, being the first Hispanic and second woman in that role. During her time as director, she oversaw work on the Orion.
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1. Ellen Ochoa
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What important 'first' did Ellen Ochoa accomplish as an astronaut?
Ellen Ochoa is an American engineer, former astronaut, and administrator. NASA selected Ochoa to participate in its astronaut program in 1990; she completed her training in 1991. In April 1993, aboard the STS-56 mission of the space shuttle Discovery, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to travel into space. During this mission, she and other mission specialists performed experiments that studied the Sun and its interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. The crew also released the SPARTAN satellite, which studied the solar wind for two days before it was retrieved.
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1. Ellen Ochoa
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What kind of work did Ellen Ochoa do during her space missions?
During her space missions, Ellen Ochoa made significant contributions. On the STS-56 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1993, she and other mission specialists conducted experiments that studied the Sun and its interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. She also assisted with the deployment and retrieval of satellites.

Ochoa returned to space several times. In 1994, she flew on the STS-66 Atlantis mission, which also studied Earth’s atmosphere. In 1999, she joined the Discovery STS-96 crew, which performed the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS). During this mission, she used Discovery’s robotic arm to assist with a nearly eight-hour spacewalk. In 2002, on the STS-110 mission of the shuttle Atlantis, Ochoa utilized the station’s robotic arm to install the first truss of the ISS frame.
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1. Ellen Ochoa
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Ellen Ochoa make an impact as an administrator at NASA?
Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space (1993), also made significant contributions as an administrator at NASA. She became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in 2007, and in 2013, she was promoted to director, becoming the second woman and first Hispanic to hold the post. During her time as director, Ochoa oversaw work on the Orion, a spacecraft designed for crewed missions to destinations like Mars. She retired from the Johnson Space Center in 2018 and later became vice chair and then chair of the National Science Board (NSB).
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1. Ellen Ochoa
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Ellen Ochoa (born May 10, 1958, Los Angeles, California, U.S.) is an American administrator and former astronaut who was the first Hispanic woman to travel into space (1993). She later served as director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (2013–18).

Ochoa studied electrical engineering at Stanford University, earning a master’s degree (1981) and a doctorate (1985). A specialist in the development of optical systems, she worked as a research engineer at Sandia National Laboratories and at the Ames Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She helped create several systems and methods that were awarded patents, including optical systems for the detection of imperfections in a repeating pattern and for the recognition of objects.

Ochoa was selected by NASA in 1990 to participate in its astronaut program, and she became the first Hispanic female astronaut when she completed her training in 1991. In April 1993 she served as mission specialist aboard the STS-56 mission of the space shuttle Discovery, becoming the first Latina to be launched into space. During this mission, she and the other mission specialists performed various experiments collectively called ATLAS-2 (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-2) that studied the Sun and its interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. The crew also released the SPARTAN satellite, which studied the solar wind for two days before it was retrieved. She was part of the STS-66 Atlantis mission in November 1994. STS-66 carried the ATLAS-3, which reflew experiments Ochoa had worked with on her previous flight. Another small satellite, CRISTA-SPAS, was released, which studied Earth’s atmosphere for eight days before being retrieved.

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In May 1999 she was a member of the Discovery STS-96 crew that executed the first docking to the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS then consisted of only two modules, the Russian Zarya and the American Unity. Discovery carried supplies to the ISS to get it ready for astronauts to stay there. It also carried two cranes to attach to the station exterior that would be used in building the rest of the station. Two astronauts, Tamara Jernigan and Daniel Barry, performed a nearly eight-hour space walk to install the cranes while Ochoa assisted them with Discovery’s robotic arm. Ochoa returned to the ISS in April 2002 on the STS-110 mission of the shuttle Atlantis. The first truss, which formed the ISS’s frame, was added; Ochoa and astronaut Daniel Bursch used the station’s robotic arm to lift the truss out of Atlantis’s payload bay and attach it to the station. On her four spaceflights, Ochoa spent more than 40 days in space.

In 2007 Ochoa became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and six years later she was promoted to director. She was the second woman to hold the post and the first Hispanic. During her tenure she notably oversaw work on the Orion, which was scheduled to travel farther than other crewed spacecraft, allowing for human exploration of such destinations as Mars. Ochoa retired from the Johnson Space Center in 2018 to become vice chair of the National Science Board (NSB), which runs the National Science Foundation. She served as NSB chair in 2020–22.

In 2024 Ochoa received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Pres. Joe Biden.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.

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