Ellison Onizuka
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese American
astronaut
from Kealakekua, Kona
, Hawaii
, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle Discovery
on STS-51-C
, before losing his life to the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger
, where he was serving as Mission Specialist
for mission STS-51-L
. He was the first Asian American to reach space.
and the Boy Scouts
, where he reached the level of Eagle Scout
.
He graduated from Konawaena High School
in Kealakekua in 1964. He received a Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering
in June 1969, and a Master's in that field in December of the same year, from the University of Colorado at Boulder
. He participated in Air Force ROTC during his time there and is an alumnus of Triangle Fraternity
.
Onizuka married Lorna Leiko Yoshida on June 7, 1969, while completing his studies at the University of Colorado. They had two daughters, Janelle Onizuka-Gillilan (b. 1969) and Darien Lei Shizue Onizuka-Morgan (b. 1975).
, where he served as a flight test engineer and as a test pilot. At the Sacramento Air Logistics Center at McClellan Air Force Base
. He 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
.
From August 1974 to July 1975, Onizuka attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
. In July 1975, he was assigned to the Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base
in California
. He became a squadron test flight engineer at the Test Pilot School, and later worked as a manager for engineering support in the training resources division. His duties there were based on the instruction of courses and the management of the airship fleet (A-7
, A-37
, T-38
, F-4
, T-33
, and NKC-135) being used for the Test Pilot School and Flight Test Center. Onizuka managed to register more than 1,700 flight hours.
for the STS-1 and STS-2. At NASA, he worked on the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory
(SAIL) test and revision software team. He also collaborated on other technical projects, for instance, as astronaut crew team coordinator.
His first space mission took place on January 24, 1985, with the Kennedy Space Center launch of mission STS 51-C on Space Shuttle Discovery
, the first space shuttle mission for the Department of Defense
. Onizuka was accompanied by the commander Ken Mattingly
, pilot Loren Shriver
, fellow mission specialist James Buchli
, and payload specialist Gary E. Payton. During the mission, Onizuka was responsible for the activities of the primary payloads, which included the unfolding of the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) surface. After 48 orbits around the Earth, Discovery landed at the Kennedy Space Center on January 27, 1985. Onizuka had completed a total of 74 hours in space.
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 (16:38:00 UTC) on January 28, 1986. The other Challenger crew members were commander Dick Scobee
, pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialists Ronald McNair
, Judith Resnik, and payload specialists Gregory Jarvis
and Christa McAuliffe
. Challenger was destroyed when a leaking solid rocket booster ruptured the fuel tank 73 seconds after launch. All seven crew members were killed. NASA had estimated that the probability of a catastrophic accident during launch, the most perilous portion of space flight, was 1 in 438.
Following the Challenger disaster, examination of the recovered vehicle cockpit revealed that three of the crew Personal Egress Air Packs were activated: those of Onizuka, mission specialist Judith Resnik, and pilot Michael J. Smith. The location of Smith's activation switch, on the back side of his seat, means that either Resnik or Onizuka could have activated it for him. This is the only evidence available from the disaster that shows Onizuka and Resnik were alive after the cockpit separated from the vehicle. However, if the cabin had lost pressure, the packs alone would not have sustained the crew during the two minute descent.
Ellison was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
in Honolulu, Hawaii
.
At the time of his death, Onizuka held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Posthumously, Onizuka was promoted to the rank of Colonel.
, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
, Tau Beta Pi
, Sigma Tau, Arnold Air Society
, and Triangle Fraternity
.
Among his distinctions are the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, and National Defense Service Medal
. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
.
Onizuka Air Force Station
in Sunnyvale, California
, Onizuka Village family housing on Hickam Air Force Base and the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center at Kona International Airport
in the Kona district
of Hawaii island
where he was born and raised, are dedicated to him.
Two astronomical
features were also named after him: an asteroid
discovered by Edward L. G. Bowell
on February 8, 1984, 3355 Onizuka
and a 29-km-diameter crater
on the Moon
, Onizuka
.
Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California
also has a street named after him, as does the street surrounding Whitcomb Elementary in Clear Lake City, Houston, Texas
, where his daughters attended school at the time of the Challenger disaster. The school also named its library the Onizuka Memorial Library. In addition, the Onizuka Street in Little Tokyo has a scale replica of the Space Shuttle Challenger as a memorial.
The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy
, named in his honor, is the mid-level support and visitor complex for the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawai'i. The complex includes a Visitor Information Station as well as dining, lodging, office and maintenance facilities for observatory staff and astronomers. A plaque of Onizuka's face is mounted on a boulder by the entrance to the Visitor Information Station.
Triangle Fraternity
has the Ellison Onizuka Young Alumnus Award in tribute to him.
The Engineering Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder has a conference room named after him.
The Arnold Air Society
Squadron attached to the 105th Air Force ROTC Detachment at the University of Colorado at Boulder bears his name.
Page 28 (Page X of additional page inserts) of every new U.S. passport contains this quotation:
"Every generation has the obligation to free men's minds for a look at new worlds... to look out from a higher plateau than the last generation." - Ellison S. Onizuka
The Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium holds an annual Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo for students in grades 4-12, parents and teachers.
At the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, employees wear Hawaiian shirts in his honor.
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
from Kealakekua, Kona
Kona District, Hawaii
Kona is the name of a moku or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the moku of Kona is divided into North Kona District and South Kona District . The term "Kona" is sometimes used to refer to its largest town,...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
on STS-51-C
STS-51-C
STS-51-C was the 15th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the third flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. It was also the first shuttle mission to deploy a dedicated United States Department of Defense payload, and as such many mission details remain classified...
, before losing his life to the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
, where he was serving as Mission Specialist
Mission Specialist
A Mission Specialist is a position held by certain NASA astronauts during Space Shuttle missions. A Mission Specialist is assigned to a limited field of the mission, such as for medical experiments or technical quests....
for mission STS-51-L
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
. He was the first Asian American to reach space.
Early life
Ellison Onizuka was the oldest son and second youngest child of the late Masamitsu and Mitsue Onizuka. He had two older sisters, Shirley and Norma, and a younger brother, Claude. Claude became the family spokesman when Ellison attained fame as an astronaut and continued after the Challenger accident. Growing up, Ellison was an active participant in 4-H4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
and the Boy Scouts
Scouting in Hawaii
Scouting in Hawaii has a long history, from the 1900s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the unique environment in which they live.-Early history prior to statehood :...
, where he reached the level of Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
.
He graduated from Konawaena High School
Konawaena High School
Konawaena High School is a public school located in the community of Kealakekua, Kona District, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. Konawaena means "the center of the leeward side" in the Hawaiian Language.-History:...
in Kealakekua in 1964. He received a Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
in June 1969, and a Master's in that field in December of the same year, from the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. He participated in Air Force ROTC during his time there and is an alumnus of Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences...
.
Onizuka married Lorna Leiko Yoshida on June 7, 1969, while completing his studies at the University of Colorado. They had two daughters, Janelle Onizuka-Gillilan (b. 1969) and Darien Lei Shizue Onizuka-Morgan (b. 1975).
Air Force career
On January 15, 1970, Onizuka entered active duty with the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, where he served as a flight test engineer and as a test pilot. At the Sacramento Air Logistics Center at McClellan Air Force Base
McClellan Air Force Base
McClellan Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the North Highlands area of Sacramento County, northeast of Sacramento, California...
. He worked in test flight programs and systems security engineering for the F-84, F-100
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, F-105, F-111, EC-121T, T-33
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
, T-39, T-28
T-28 Trojan
The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
, and A-1
A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
.
From August 1974 to July 1975, Onizuka attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School is the Air Force's very advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test navigators to carry out tests and evaluations of new aerospace weapon systems and also other aircraft of the U.S. Air Force...
. In July 1975, he was assigned to the Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He became a squadron test flight engineer at the Test Pilot School, and later worked as a manager for engineering support in the training resources division. His duties there were based on the instruction of courses and the management of the airship fleet (A-7
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
, A-37
A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s...
, T-38
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
, F-4
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, T-33
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
, and NKC-135) being used for the Test Pilot School and Flight Test Center. Onizuka managed to register more than 1,700 flight hours.
NASA career
Onizuka was selected for the astronaut program in January 1978, and completed one year of evaluation and training in August 1979. Later, he worked in the experimentation team, Orbiter test team, and launch support crew at the Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
for the STS-1 and STS-2. At NASA, he worked on the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory
Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory
The Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory was a facility at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.It was the only facility in the Space Shuttle Program where actual orbiter hardware and flight software can be integrated and tested in a simulated flight environment...
(SAIL) test and revision software team. He also collaborated on other technical projects, for instance, as astronaut crew team coordinator.
His first space mission took place on January 24, 1985, with the Kennedy Space Center launch of mission STS 51-C on Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
, the first space shuttle mission for the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. Onizuka was accompanied by the commander Ken Mattingly
Ken Mattingly
Thomas Kenneth "Ken" Mattingly II, is a retired American astronaut and rear admiral in the United States Navy who flew on the Apollo 16, STS-4 and STS-51-C missions. He had been scheduled to fly on Apollo 13, but was held back due to concerns about a potential illness...
, pilot Loren Shriver
Loren Shriver
Loren James Shriver is a former NASA astronaut, aviator, and a retired US Air Force Colonel.-Career:Shriver currently holds the position of Deputy Director for Launch and Payload Processing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center...
, fellow mission specialist James Buchli
James Buchli
James Frederick Buchli is an engineer, retired United States Marine aviator and former NASA astronaut who flew on four Space shuttle missions.-Education and memberships:...
, and payload specialist Gary E. Payton. During the mission, Onizuka was responsible for the activities of the primary payloads, which included the unfolding of the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) surface. After 48 orbits around the Earth, Discovery landed at the Kennedy Space Center on January 27, 1985. Onizuka had completed a total of 74 hours in space.
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
that took off from Kennedy Space Center at 11:38:00 EST (16:38:00 UTC) on January 28, 1986. The other Challenger crew members were commander Dick Scobee
Dick Scobee
Francis Richard "Dick" Scobee was an American astronaut. He was killed commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.-Early life:...
, pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialists Ronald McNair
Ronald McNair
Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. was a physicist and NASA astronaut. McNair died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L.-Background:...
, Judith Resnik, and payload specialists Gregory Jarvis
Gregory Jarvis
Gregory Bruce Jarvis was an American engineer who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where he was serving as Payload Specialist.-Education:...
and Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, and was one of the seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
. Challenger was destroyed when a leaking solid rocket booster ruptured the fuel tank 73 seconds after launch. All seven crew members were killed. NASA had estimated that the probability of a catastrophic accident during launch, the most perilous portion of space flight, was 1 in 438.
Following the Challenger disaster, examination of the recovered vehicle cockpit revealed that three of the crew Personal Egress Air Packs were activated: those of Onizuka, mission specialist Judith Resnik, and pilot Michael J. Smith. The location of Smith's activation switch, on the back side of his seat, means that either Resnik or Onizuka could have activated it for him. This is the only evidence available from the disaster that shows Onizuka and Resnik were alive after the cockpit separated from the vehicle. However, if the cabin had lost pressure, the packs alone would not have sustained the crew during the two minute descent.
Ellison was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a cemetery located in Honolulu, Hawaii that serves a memorial to those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces...
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
At the time of his death, Onizuka held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Posthumously, Onizuka was promoted to the rank of Colonel.
Memberships and distinctions
Onizuka belonged to the following organizations: Society of Flight Test Engineers, the Air Force AssociationAir Force Association
The Air Force Association is an independent, 501 non-profit, civilian education organization, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia...
, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
, Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
, Sigma Tau, Arnold Air Society
Arnold Air Society
The Arnold Air Society is a professional, honorary, service organization advocating the support of aerospace power. AAS is open to officer candidates in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and at the United States Air Force Academy , and is formally affiliated with the Air Force Association...
, and Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences...
.
Among his distinctions are the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, and National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
Congressional Space Medal of Honor
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize "any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind." The highest award...
.
Legacy
Onizuka Air Force Station
Onizuka Air Force Station was a United States Air Force installation in Santa Clara County, California, just outside the city limits of Sunnyvale, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 237...
in Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, Onizuka Village family housing on Hickam Air Force Base and the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center at Kona International Airport
Kona International Airport
Kona International Airport at Keāhole is an airport on the Island of Hawaii, in Kalaoa CDP, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The airport serves leeward, or Western Hawaii island, including the town of Kailua-Kona and the major resorts of the North Kona and South Kohala districts.- History...
in the Kona district
Kona District, Hawaii
Kona is the name of a moku or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the moku of Kona is divided into North Kona District and South Kona District . The term "Kona" is sometimes used to refer to its largest town,...
of Hawaii island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
where he was born and raised, are dedicated to him.
Two astronomical
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
features were also named after him: an asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
discovered by Edward L. G. Bowell
Edward L. G. Bowell
Edward L. G. Bowell , known as "Ted", is an American astronomer. Bowell was educated at Emanuel School London, University College, London, and the Université de Paris....
on February 8, 1984, 3355 Onizuka
3355 Onizuka
3355 Onizuka is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 8, 1984 by E. Bowell at Flagstaff . It is named in memory of Ellison Onizuka, one of the astronauts who died in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster. The asteroids 3350 Scobee, 3351 Smith, 3352 McAuliffe, 3353 Jarvis, 3354 McNair...
and a 29-km-diameter crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, Onizuka
Onizuka (crater)
Onizuka is a small lunar impact crater that lies within the inner ring of the walled plain Apollo. The central portion of Apollo has been covered by dark basaltic lava, and Onizuka lies at the southern edge of this plain. To the southeast of Onizuka is the crater Borman, and to the west-southwest...
.
Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
also has a street named after him, as does the street surrounding Whitcomb Elementary in Clear Lake City, Houston, Texas
Clear Lake City, Houston, Texas
Clear Lake City is a master-planned community located in southeast Harris County, Texas, within the Bay Area of Greater Houston. It is the second-largest master-planned community in Houston — behind Kingwood...
, where his daughters attended school at the time of the Challenger disaster. The school also named its library the Onizuka Memorial Library. In addition, the Onizuka Street in Little Tokyo has a scale replica of the Space Shuttle Challenger as a memorial.
The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy
Onizuka Center for International Astronomy
The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, also known as Hale Pōhaku, is a complex of support facilities for the telescopes and other instruments that comprise the Mauna Kea Observatory atop Mauna Kea, on Hawaii island.-History:...
, named in his honor, is the mid-level support and visitor complex for the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawai'i. The complex includes a Visitor Information Station as well as dining, lodging, office and maintenance facilities for observatory staff and astronomers. A plaque of Onizuka's face is mounted on a boulder by the entrance to the Visitor Information Station.
Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences...
has the Ellison Onizuka Young Alumnus Award in tribute to him.
The Engineering Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder has a conference room named after him.
The Arnold Air Society
Arnold Air Society
The Arnold Air Society is a professional, honorary, service organization advocating the support of aerospace power. AAS is open to officer candidates in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and at the United States Air Force Academy , and is formally affiliated with the Air Force Association...
Squadron attached to the 105th Air Force ROTC Detachment at the University of Colorado at Boulder bears his name.
Page 28 (Page X of additional page inserts) of every new U.S. passport contains this quotation:
"Every generation has the obligation to free men's minds for a look at new worlds... to look out from a higher plateau than the last generation." - Ellison S. Onizuka
The Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium holds an annual Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo for students in grades 4-12, parents and teachers.
At the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, employees wear Hawaiian shirts in his honor.
In media
- Onizuka was portrayed by Keone YoungKeone YoungKeone J. Young is an American character actor. His father is Chinese and his mother is Japanese.He has been prolific in his character work and has made numerous guest appearances on such varied television series as Diff'rent Strokes, The Golden Girls, Murphy Brown, Mad About You, Family Matters,...
in the 1990 TV movie ChallengerChallenger (TV film)Challenger is an ABC TV-movie based on the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Its production was somewhat controversial as the families of the astronauts generally objected to it. The film concentrates on the safety inspections and arguments surrounding the O-rings that...
. - In Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, a shuttlecraft carried aboard the starship EnterpriseUSS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)The USS Enterprise is a 24th century starship in the Star Trek fictional universe and the principal setting of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series...
bears his name, as seen in the three episodes "The Ensigns of Command", "The Mind's Eye" and "The Outcast."