UH Manoa presents lecture on astronaut Ellison Onizuka's life and legacy

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Aug 23, 2011

Ellison Onizuka
Ellison Onizuka
Claude Onizuka, the brother of Hawai‘i-born NASA astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka, will present a talk on Thursday evening, August 25, as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Titled Remembering the Challenger: Celebrating the Life and Career of Ellison S. Onizuka, the free public lecture will begin at 7 p.m. at the Architecture Auditorium.
 
Ellison Onizuka was born in 1946 in Kealakekua, Kona. He graduated from Konawaena High School in 1964 and received his BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. Colonel Onizuka was selected as an astronaut by NASA in January 1978 based on his exceptional service within the U.S. Air Force.
 
As an astronaut, his first mission was on STS 51C in January 1985—the first Department of Defense mission that orbited the Earth 48 times, logging a total of 74 hours in space. 
 
On his second mission, Colonel Onizuka served as a mission specialist on board the Orbiter Challenger mission 51L that launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 28, 1986. The seven-person crew died when the Challenger exploded 1 minute and 13 seconds after launch at 11:30 A.M. EST. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
 
The Distinguished Lecture Series brings internationally recognized scholars to UH Mānoa for lectures and discussions.
 
For more information, contact Dr. Hope Jahren, a professor of Geology and Geophysics, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and chair of the Distinguished Lecture Series, at jahren@hawaii.edu.
 
The Architecture building is located on University Avenue, across from the yogurt shop. On-campus parking is available for $5 after 4 p.m. There is a flat rate fee of $4 for campus parking structures prior to 4 p.m. at the entry kiosks.