Ellen Ochoa, Space Explorer

Ellen Ochoa is a true hero. She was the first Hispanic woman to travel into space. Ellen was born in California. She loved science and learning new things. She worked hard in school and studied a lot. Ellen became an engineer. She helped make new tools for space. Then, she became an astronaut! In 1993, she flew on a space shuttle. She orbited Earth many times. Ellen Ochoa spent nearly 1,000 hours in space. She helped study our planet from above. Later, she became the director of the Johnson Space Center. She led many important space missions. Ellen Ochoa showed that with hard work, you can reach for the stars.