He, along with all crewmembers aboard Challenger, were posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004.

His first mission was STS-51-C, occurring in 1985. Onizuka was selected as a mission specialist for STS-51-L, which launched on January 28, 1986 but tragically disintegrated nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean 73 seconds after liftoff.

Ellison Onizuka was the first Asian American to fly in space. Prior to his NASA career, Onizuka served as a flight test engineer and test pilot in the United States Air Force. He was a member of the Astronaut Class of 1978, also known as the “Thirty-Five New Guys.” https://t.co/HzzGS1mE3D

SEDS advancing the exploration of space through education, projects, scholarships, and professional opportunities. Check out more of what we have to offer: https://t.co/ouG5TLLbB2

She initially became interested in flying when her father took her to an airfield to practice driving a car and eventually earned her pilot’s license in 1932. She later received her international flight license two years later in 1935 and became a United States citizen in 1936.

We’re starting the month off with Katherine Sui Fun Cheung who became the first woman pilot of Chinese descent to earn her aviation license in the United States. Did you know that she originally pursued a career in music? https://t.co/xLE5UXB5jl

We honor and celebrate the accomplishments of leaders in the AAPI community that have advanced the field of space and have become an inspiration for us all. Thank you for breaking down barriers, making a significant impact, and empowering the next generation! https://t.co/9iiAMgYU7y

We hope you enjoy reading, and make sure to check out the rest of our SEDS USA Media Corner on our website, including prompt submissions, photo galleries, and more to come:

Welcome to the first edition of the SEDS USA quarterly newsletter Nova in almost a decade! We've decided to bring back this compilation of space news, student projects, alumni achievements, and more created by and for students. https://t.co/wxVttOnOci

Shhhh! 🤫 Here's a sneak peak at the upcoming edition of SEDS Nova, our space newsletter written by and for students! We'll be releasing the full edition within the next week on our website, so keep an eye out for the full release. https://t.co/28a9Gwi4XO