Women pt 4~ Inventors

Educators, entertainers, and writers..... slices of life that women have been a great part of but some whom most of us probably have never heard of. I will now introduce you to inventors .

This woman deserves all her accolades. From being a american engineer to winding up as the former director of the Johnson Space Center and beyond.

In 1993, Ellen Ochoa would become the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery to study the earth's ozone layers. Nineteen years later she would then become the first Hispanic director and the second female director of Johnson Space Center upon the retirement of the previous director, Michael Coats, on December 31, 2012.

Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10, 1958 in Los Angeles, California to Joseph and Rosanne Ochoa. She would graduate from Grossmont High School in El Cajon in 1975 then later receive a bachelor of science degree in physics from San Diego State University as a Phi Beta Kappa in 1980, before earning a master of science degree and a doctorate from Stanford Department of Electrical Engineering in 1981 and 1985, respectively. During her time at San Diego State University, she found that she loved physics, math, and engineering; causing her to decide to major in physics.

Later as a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories and the NASA Ames Research Center, Ellen investigated optical systems for performing information processing which meant she led a research group working primarily on optical systems for automated space exploration, applying it as well to the research being done on nuclear weapons. She holds a patent for an optical system that detects defects in a repeating pattern( i have no clue what that is) and is a co-inventor on another three patents for an optical inspection system, an optical object recognition method, and a method for noise removal in images.

As Chief of the Intelligent Systems Technology Branch at Ames, she supervised 35 engineers and scientists in the research and development of computational systems for aerospace missions. In 1985, Dr. Ochoa applied for the NASA Training Program but after being rejected, she decided to get a pilot’s license in hopes that it might help build her resume for NASA. She applied again in 1987 but again was rejected.

However, her third application in January of 1990 was accepted and she became an astronaut in July 1991.Her technical assignments in the Astronaut Office included serving as the crew representative for flight software, computer hardware and robotics, Assistant for Space Station to the Chief of the Astronaut Office, lead spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control and acting as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. A veteran of four space flights, Ochoa has logged nearly 1000 hours in space.

In 2007, after retiring from spacecraft operations, Ochoa served as Deputy Director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, helping to manage and direct the Astronaut Office and Aircraft Operations. Ochoa was named Vice Chair of the National Science Board for the 2018–2020 term. She currently chairs the committee evaluating nominations for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Ellen has received many awards among which are NASA's Distinguished Service Medal (2015), Exceptional Service Medal (1997), Outstanding Leadership Medal (1995) and Space Flight Medals (2002, 1999, 1994, 1993). Ellen was announced as being part of the 2017 class of the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame as well as being recognized in Hispanic Executive's 2017 Best of the Boardroom issue for her work as a board director for Johnson Space Center.

She was inducted into the 2018 International Air and Space Hall of Fame class. Ellen is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the National Academy of Inventors and Optica ( wow thats a mouthful). She was even featured in the 2019 episode "Astronaut Ellen Ochoa" of the children's television program, Ready Jet Go!.

In addition to all of her other outstanding accomplishments, Ellen is also a wife and mother.

Sarah Boone is famous not just for her patent but also for being 1 of the 3 African American women to receive a patent in United States history.

Boone was born in Craven County, North Carolina in 1832 to Sally and James Marshall. She married James Boone in 1847, with whom she had several children, who were named William, James, Mary Elizabeth,Henrietta and Louisa. Shortly after the marriage, the couple moved to New Haven, Connecticut where she worked as a dressmaker, and her husband as a bricklayer.

Boone’s legacy was her improvement of the ironing board which was patented on April 26, 1892, under the number 473,653. Basically ya'll know the curve of the ironing board that makes it easier to iron skirts and stuff? Yea that was part of her improvement. It also hinted at ways it would be suited for men’s clothing.

Sarah Boone died on October 29, 1904 at age 72 of Bright’s disease and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven and was survived by her remaining children.