Colonel Ellison Onizuka

Colonel Ellison Onizuka. Challenger Memorial. , Colonel (USAF) Ellison Shoji Onizuka , Astronaut/National Aeronautics and Space Administration, June 24, 1946 , January 28, 1986. , Colonel Onizuka was the first Japanese American astronaut selected to participate in America's Space Program. , Born and raised in a simple rural community, he walked a remarkable path that led from the coffee fields of Kona, Hawaii to miles above the earth. In 1985, he flew on a Departmet of Defense mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, America's first classified manned military space flight. The Challenger flight was his second mission into space. , A humble man, he was especially proud of his Japanese heritage and remained genuinely grateful to all those responsible for his achievements. , The embarassed hero who was adored by children across many lands, he dreamed, he dared, and he delivered... "Your visions are not limited by what your eyes can see, but by what your minds can imagine. Make your life count and the world will be a better place because you tried." - Ellison S. Onizuka. , Challenger Seven , The crew of Challenger Flight 51-L was carefully chosen to reflect the spirit of America. All walks of life, backgrounds and regions were represented on this shuttle flight of civilians and military personnel, five astronauts, a payload specialist and a teacher observer. , On January 28, 1986, The Challenger Seven Crew lifted from earth. At 11:39 A.M., the orbiter exploded tragically ending seven lives of ambitions, dreams and courage. , We honor their bravery, their pioneering achievements and their sacrifices to our nation. , Francis R. Scobee, Commander. Michael J. Smith, Pilot. Judith A. Resnick, Mission Specialist. Ellison E. Onizuka, Mission Specialist. Gregory E. Jarvis, Payload Specialist. Ronald E. McNair, Mission Specialist. Christe McAuliffe, Teacher Observer. , U.S. Space Program , The United States with international cooperation has a long range program to study and explore our solar system, reaching out to the moon, the sun and the planets. , While recognizing tragic losses, we also hail the positive achievements of the Space Program , achievements that benefit all of mankind. Satellite communications and weather forecasting, advanced computer utilization, aerospace medicine, laser technology, state of the art instrumentation, new space age materials, ecological mapping and environmental ecology are but a few of the remarkable achievements that have become part of our daily lives as a result of the U.S. Space Program. , These projects have enriched the lives of untold millions of people. Colonel Ellison Onizuka was a whole-hearted promoter of the NASA program and America’s future in space.