El Camino’s Onizuka Space Science Day Invites Area Students Grades 5-12 to Meet NASA Astronaut Daniel M. Tani

El Camino College welcomes South Bay students and former NASA astronaut Daniel M. Tani to Onizuka Space Science Day 2025, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 15 at the college’s planetarium and science classrooms.

Onizuka Space Science Day is dedicated to Ellison Onizuka, a Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut who perished along with six other crew members during the tragic events of 1986. Coordinated by the El Camino College Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Memorial Committee, the annual free event is open to students in grades five through 12 and sponsored by Honda, Chevron, El Camino, and the El Camino College Foundation.

Astronaut Tani launched his career at Hughes Aircraft Corporation in El Segundo as a design engineer in the Space and Communications group. He later worked for the Orbital Sciences Corporation as a Flight Operations lead and then led the development of procedures for the launching of the Pegasus unmanned rocket. Tani was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1996. His space flight experience includes serving as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in December 2001, the 12th shuttle flight to visit the International Space Station. He performed a spacewalk to wrap thermal blankets around sensitive equipment on the exterior of the spacecraft. The mission was accomplished in 185 Earth orbits, traveling 4.8 million miles in 283 hours and 36 minutes, including a spacewalk lasting 4 hours and 12 minutes. 

On his second spaceflight, Tani served as Expedition-16 Flight Engineer and spent 120 days living and working aboard the International Space Station from October 2007-February 2008. He performed numerous robotic operations and logged a total of 34 hours and 59 minutes during five spacewalks.

Tani earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, and considers Lombard, Illinois, his hometown.

Following Tani’s presentation, students will participate in a variety of hands-on science experiments, activities and demonstrations led by El Camino College professors, students, and guests from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and other institutions. Robotics, math games, planetarium shows, and a chemical magic show are just some of the sessions on the agenda, along with activities involving making lava lamps, paint, spectroscopes and speakers. The day concludes with the traditional Egg Drop Competition, where students attempt to build the perfect apparatus that will let an egg drop from a rooftop without breaking when it lands.

Onizuka Space Science Day will take place rain or shine; registration is available online.

The El Camino Community College District encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact spaceday@elcamino.edu as soon as possible, but no later than seven days prior to the event.

For more information about Onizuka Space Science Day 2025, or to register, view www.elcamino.edu/academics/divisions/natural-sciences/onizuka-space-day/.