Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Ellison Onizuka, first Asian-American astronaut

Ellison Onizuka, born June 24, 1946 in Kealakekua, Hawaii (which was not even part of the US then), is the first Asian-American in space and the first person of Japanese origin to reach space.  He went into space twice, first on Discovery (STS-51-C) in January 1985 and then Challenger (STS-51-L) in January 1986.  He perished when Challenger blew up shortly after launch.

Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, California is dedicated to him.  He has an asteroid and a crater on the moon named after him.  The airport in Kona, Hawaii has been renamed Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, and he even has a shuttlecraft, which has appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, named after him. 

"Deep Impact" released 1998

One of two comet/asteroid disaster movies to hit theaters, Deep Impact, opened May 8, 1998.  A seven-mile wide comet is on a collision course with Earth, and the world prepares for a mass extinction.

Steven Spielberg was executive producer.  It starred Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Maximillian Schell, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Jon Favreau, Denise Crosby (of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame), and Blair Underwood.

The movie is based on the 1993 novel The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke.  

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Linda Park, Star Trek actress

Lovely actress Linda Park, July 9, 1978 born in Seoul, South Korea, is best known and beloved as Ensign Hoshi Sato, and later as Lt. Sato on Star Trek: Voyager.  She was raised in San Jose, California and graduated from Boston University's BFA Acting program.  Her first movie role was a brief appearance in Jurassic Park III with Laura Dern. 

Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai, first Asian woman in space

Chiaki Mukai, born May 6, 1952 in Japan, is the first Japanese woman in space, the first Asian woman, and the first Japanese citizen go to into space twice.

Her first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-65) as payload specialist in July 1994.  She carried out experiments sponsored by NASDA, the precursor to the Japanese Space Exploration Agency.

Her second and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-95) as payload specialist in October-November 1998. It was the final flight for astronaut John Glenn as well.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Garrett Wang, Star Trek actor extraordinaire

Garrett Wang, born December 15, 1968 in Riverside, California, is best known and beloved actor for his role as Ensign Harry Kim on Star Trek: Voyager.  His parents were Chinese immigrants and he moved from California, to Indiana, to Bermuda and then Tennessee.  

In 1997, he was named one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people in the world. 

Happy birthday, Chinese astronaut Fei Julong!

Fei Julong, born May 5, 1965 in China, went into space aboard Shenzhou 6, the second manned spaceflight of the Chinese National Space Administration.  He spent over four days in space.  

An asteroid, 9512 Feijulong, is named after him.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Rosalind Chao, beautiful and talented Chinese-American actress

Rosalind Chao, born September 23, 1957 in Anaheim, California, is everyone's favorite Chinese-American actress.  She is probably best known for her role as Keiko O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, for which she was nominated twice for Online Film & Television Association awards.

She appeared as Soon-Lee, Klinger's wife on M*A*S*H.  She also appeared in The Joy Luck Club, Murder, She Wrote, What Dreams May Come, Hawaii Five-O, and Mulan.