Dr. Ellen Ochoa: A Spark in Our Sky

About the Program

DR. ELLEN OCHOA: A SPARK IN OUR SKY follows Ellen from her childhood in La Mesa, California, where she is a dedicated student and talented flute player, to her historic journey into space. Encouraged by her mother and inspired by Sally Ride, Ellen begins to imagine possibilities for herself that she had never considered.

Her love of math leads her to study engineering at Stanford University and eventually to NASA. Along the way, Ellen encounters challenges and discovers that becoming an astronaut will require persistence as well as talent. In 1993, she makes history as the first Latina woman to travel to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. She later becomes the first Latina and only the second woman to serve as Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Throughout her journey, Ellen’s love of music remains part of who she is. She even brings her flute into space, playing aboard the shuttle as part of NASA’s Liftoff to Learning educational program.

Blending science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, DR. ELLEN OCHOA: A SPARK IN OUR SKY introduces students to a remarkable woman whose curiosity, determination and willingness to reach beyond what others expected helped take her all the way to the stars.

Written by: Marta Mendez Cross
Directed by: April Ibarra
Original Music by: Michael Andreas
Cast: Gloria Ines Olivas and Marita De La Torre

Additional Information

Grades: K–12
Cost: $780 for one performance, $1,400 for 2 on the same day.