Ellison Onizuka
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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-
Onizuka, c. 1980
The STS-51L Crew
Gravesite of Onizuka
Downtown Los Angeles as seen from the corner of Ellison S. Onizuka St., San Pedro St. and 2nd St. in Little Tokyo
STS-51-L
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STS-51-L was the 25th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program which resulted in the loss of Space Shuttle Challenger.
Ellison Onizuka
…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. Onizuka was born on June 24, 1946, to Japanese American…
Challenger launches at the start of STS-51-L. 73 seconds later, the right SRB aft strut would fail, causing the aerodynamic breakup of the orbiter and the deaths of all 7 crew on board.
Back row: Onizuka, McAuliffe, Jarvis and Resnik Front row: Smith, Scobee and McNairSpace Shuttle program← STS-61-C (24)STS-26 → Cancelled: STS-61-E →
Challenger after the explosion 73 seconds after launch