Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina astronaut in space, recently visited Idaho Falls to speak at the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) as part of the Village Improvement Society’s “Inspire” lecture series. During her talk, she recalled watching the Apollo 11 landing as an 11-year-old, noting that careers in space were not accessible to girls at that time.
Ochoa emphasized the importance of women’s contributions to STEM fields, stating, “We need bright minds… We want to make sure we get everybody’s ideas.” She reflected on her experiences at NASA, including her role in mission control during the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster, which provided crucial lessons for the agency.
After serving as the Director of the Johnson Space Center from 2013 to 2018, Ochoa retired after a notable 30-year career with NASA. She also entertained the audience with a recipe for “space s’mores” and is the author of bilingual children’s books.
Ochoa expressed her excitement about the STEM initiatives in Idaho Falls, further inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.
