The first Latina astronaut in space is coming to Kansas City to share her experience

After joining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1990, Dr. Ellen Ochoa has flown in space four times and logged nearly 1,000 hours in orbit. Ochoa is visiting Kansas City in April for an event at the Linda Hall Library.
Astronaut, inventor and author Dr. Ellen Ochoa has experienced many firsts in her career.

Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to travel into space during the first nine-day space shuttle mission on the Discovery in April 1993.

But when she first applied to become an astronaut in 1985, she was denied. It wasn't until 1990 after she reapplied that she would finally get accepted.