This edition first published in 2009 by Gareth Stevens Publishing A Weekly Reader Company 1 Reader s Digest Road Pleasantville, NY USA

Transcription

1 By Jayne Keedle

2 Please visit our web site at For a free color catalog describing our list of high-quality books, call (USA) or (Canada). Our fax: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Keedle, Jayne. Ellen Ochoa / by Jayne Keedle. p. cm. (People we should know) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-10: X ISBN-13: (lib. bdg.) ISBN-10: ISBN-13: (soft cover) 1. Ochoa, Ellen Juvenile literature. 2. Women astronauts United States Biography Juvenile literature. 3. Astronauts United States Biography Juvenile literature. 4. Hispanic American women Biography Juvenile literature. I. Title. TL O25K dc22 [B] This edition first published in 2009 by Gareth Stevens Publishing A Weekly Reader Company 1 Reader s Digest Road Pleasantville, NY USA Copyright 2009 by Gareth Stevens, Inc. Executive Managing Editor: Lisa M. Herrington Editors: Brian Fitzgerald and Amanda Hudson Creative Director: Lisa Donovan Senior Designer: Keith Plechaty Photo Researcher: Charlene Pinckney Publisher: Keith Garton The publisher wishes to thank Dr. Ellen Ochoa and Laura Wright from the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center for their assistance with the creation of this book. Picture credits Cover and title page: NASA; pp. 5, 6, 7: NASA; p. 9: courtesy Dr. Ellen Ochoa; p. 10: NASA; p. 11: courtesy San Diego State University; p. 12: courtesy Dr. Ellen Ochoa; p. 13: NASA; p. 15: courtesy Dr. Ellen Ochoa; pp. 17, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27: NASA; p. 28: Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission, contact permissions@gspub.com. Printed in the United States of America

3 Chapter 1: Blast Off!....4 Chapter 2: Aiming High...8 Chapter 3: In Training...14 Chapter 4: Riding High...18 Chapter 5: To Space and Back...24 Time Line...29 Glossary Find Out More Index...32 Words in the glossary appear in bold type the first time they are used in the text.

4 Blast Off! On April 8, 1993, the space shuttle Discovery was preparing for launch. Its five-person crew was eager to go. Their mission had been delayed for two days. Finally, mission control at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was ready. All systems are go! The final countdown began. T minus two minutes! The crew closed and locked their helmet visors. Seconds before blastoff, the main engine rumbled to life. T minus zero! The shuttle s solid rocket boosters roared into action. Discovery blasted into space with more power than 35 jumbo jets. 4 PTK_EllenOchoa_Int.indd 4 11/5/08 4:01:15 PM

5 Discovery blasts off on April 8, The launch took place very late at night. Reaching New Heights Astronaut Ellen Ochoa braced herself for the ride of her life. For more than eight bone-rattling minutes, Ellen was pushed back in her seat. Discovery was moving at about 17,000 miles (27,358 kilometers) per hour! Then the engines shut off. The pressure stopped. The shuttle was in orbit, circling the planet. High above Earth, objects are weightless. The crew was strapped in tightly. Otherwise, they would have floated out of their seats! Fast Fact Mission control always says T minus before announcing the time remaining before a launch. Many people think that T stands for time. In fact, it stands for test. 5 PTK_EllenOchoa_Int.indd 5 11/5/08 4:01:30 PM

6 What Is the Space Shuttle? The space shuttle is the world s first reusable spacecraft. It launches like a rocket. In orbit, it moves like a spaceship. When it returns to Earth, the shuttle lands like an airplane. The first space shuttle was built in Today, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has three space shuttles: Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. Ellen has flown missions on Discovery and Atlantis. The shuttles carry satellites into orbit. They also bring equipment and crew to the International Space Station. The space shuttle program will be retired in Making History Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to become an astronaut. When she was a little girl, only men had gone into space. But her mother always encouraged her to reach for the stars. Ellen worked hard to achieve her goals. She studied hard. She earned advanced degrees and became an inventor. She worked as an engineer for NASA. In 1990, Ellen entered the astronaut program. 6 PTK_EllenOchoa_Int.indd 6 11/5/08 4:01:44 PM