Historical Figure
Ellison Onizuka
d. 1986
American astronaut and engineer (1946–1986)
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Biography
Ellison Shoji Onizuka was an American astronaut, engineer, and U.S. Air Force flight test engineer from Kealakekua, Hawaii, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-51-C. He died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, on which he was serving as Mission Specialist for mission STS-51-L. Onizuka was the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese ancestry to reach space.
Timeline
The story of Ellison Onizuka, told in moments.
Graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in aerospace engineering. Commissioned as a U.S. Air Force officer. Became a flight test engineer at McClellan and Edwards Air Force Bases.
Selected by NASA for astronaut training. One of 35 chosen from over 8,000 applicants.
Flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-C. Became the first Asian American and first person of Japanese ancestry to reach space.
Killed when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch. He was 39. All seven crew members died. An O-ring seal had failed in the cold morning temperatures.
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