Ellison Onizuka

Ellison Onizuka was an American aerospace engineer, United States Air Force officer, and NASA astronaut. He became the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese ancestry to reach space, flying aboard the Space Shuttle mission STS-51-C in 1985. Onizuka tragically perished the following year in the destruction of the Space Shuttle *Challenger* during the launch of mission STS-51-L.

Early life and education

Ellison Shoji Onizuka was born on June 24, 1946, in Kealakekua, Hawaii, on the island of Hawaiʻi. He was the son of Japanese-American parents who worked on a Kona coffee farm. He graduated from Konawaena High School in Kealakekua before pursuing higher education at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering in 1969. His academic work was supported by a scholarship from the United States Air Force through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program, which commissioned him as a second lieutenant.

NASA career

Onizuka entered active duty with the United States Air Force in January 1970, where he served as a flight test engineer and instructor at the Aerospace Research Pilot School located at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He worked on several advanced aircraft programs, including the F-84 Thunderjet, F-100 Super Sabre, and the F-15 Eagle. In January 1978, he was selected by NASA as part of NASA Astronaut Group 8, a class notable for including the first American women astronauts and mission specialists. He completed a one-year training and evaluation period, qualifying him for assignment on future Space Shuttle flight crews as a mission specialist.

Space Shuttle missions

Onizuka's first spaceflight was aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-C, launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 24, 1985. This was the first dedicated Department of Defense shuttle mission. Serving as a mission specialist, his duties included operating the Inertial Upper Stage and managing various payload systems. His second and final mission was STS-51-L aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Launched on January 28, 1986, the vehicle broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe and Dick Scobee.

Death and legacy

The *Challenger* disaster was a national tragedy, investigated by the Rogers Commission. Onizuka was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. His legacy is honored through numerous memorials, including the Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center at Kona International Airport and the Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, California. An asteroid, 3355 Onizuka, and a crater on the Moon are named for him. His pioneering role inspired many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to pursue careers in NASA and STEM fields.

Awards and honors

For his service, Onizuka was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He also received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He was inducted into the New Mexico Museum of Space History's International Space Hall of Fame and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame. The Ellison Onizuka Memorial Committee and the Japanese American Citizens League continue to promote his legacy of exploration and public service.

Category:American astronauts Category:NASA astronauts Category:Recipients of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor Category:1946 births Category:1986 deaths