1. Ellison Shoji Onizuka was an American astronaut, engineer, and US Air Force flight test engineer from Kealakekua, Hawaii, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-51-C.
22 Facts About Ellison Onizuka
1. 2.
Ellison Onizuka died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, on which he was serving as Mission Specialist for mission STS-51-L.
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Ellison Onizuka was born on June 24,1946, to Japanese American parents Masamitsu and Mitsue Ellison Onizuka.
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Ellison Onizuka had two older sisters, Shirley and Norma, and a younger brother, Claude, who became the family spokesman after the Challenger disaster.
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Ellison Onizuka received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in June 1969, and a Master of Science degree in that field in December of the same year, from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
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Ellison Onizuka participated in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps during his time there and is an alumnus of Triangle Fraternity, the AFROTC Arnold Air Society, as well as a member of the Tau Beta Pi honor society.
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Ellison Onizuka married Lorna Leiko Yoshida on June 7,1969, while completing his studies at the University of Colorado.
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On January 15,1970, Ellison Onizuka entered active duty with the United States Air Force, where he served as a flight test engineer at Sacramento Air Logistics Center at McClellan Air Force Base.
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Ellison Onizuka worked in test flight programs and systems security engineering for the F-84, F-100, F-105, F-111, EC-121T, T-33, T-39, T-28, and A-1.
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From August 1974 to July 1975, Ellison Onizuka attended the US Air Force Test Pilot School.
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Ellison Onizuka became a squadron flight test engineer at the USAF Test Pilot School, and later worked as a manager for engineering support in the training resources division.
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Ellison Onizuka was selected for the astronaut program in January 1978 and completed one year of evaluation and training in August 1979.
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At NASA, Ellison Onizuka worked on the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory test and revision software team.
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Ellison Onizuka was accompanied by Commander Ken Mattingly, Pilot Loren Shriver, fellow Mission Specialist James Buchli, and Payload Specialist Gary E Payton.
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Ellison Onizuka had completed a total of 74 hours in space.
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Ellison Onizuka was assigned to the mission STS-51-L on the Space Shuttle Challenger that took off from Kennedy Space Center at 11:38:00 EST on January 28,1986.
17.
The location of Smith's activation switch, on the back side of his seat, means that either Resnik or Ellison Onizuka could have activated it for him.
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Ellison Onizuka was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
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Ellison Onizuka belonged to the following organizations: Society of Flight Test Engineers, the Air Force Association, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Tau, Arnold Air Society, and Triangle Fraternity.
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Ellison Onizuka was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
21.
The students at the United States Air Force Test Pilot School present the Ellison Onizuka Prop Wash Award to the classmate who contributed most to class spirit and morale.
22.
Clear Lake High School, where Ellison Onizuka's children went to school, has on display a soccer ball that was on board the Challenger during the accident.