November 24, 2025

A Visit with Cosmonauts
Ellen West

In 1988, Ellen West's Young Astronaut Chapter and two others were selected nation-wide to travel with Astronaut David Walker to the Soviet Union to meet with officials, students, and Cosmonauts. The visit took place in the context of expanding relations between the United States, under President Reagan, and the Soviet Union, under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev. The students arrived in Moscow that November as guests of the Soviet Union. They spent over a week in Moscow and visited its mission control center, where the students were able to send messages to the Cosmonauts on the space station MIR.

Presenter

Ellen West was born during World War II in what later became East Germany. At 15,
after speaking out against a party member’s handling of a student during their so-called volunteer work at the local brick-making company, she left for West Germany where she lived with relatives and studied chemistry.

After moving to New York City in 1965 working at Rockefeller University, she met her husband. Ellen taught in a program funded by the National Science Foundation teaching scientists how to teach. She then worked for the New York City Board of Education aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid, later as as Director of the Science Curriculum.

Ellen went on to serve in the Chemistry Department of City College of New York writing grant applications, developing a nationwide learning program, then serving as Assistant Director of CCNY’s Learning Center. Ellen’s career culminated as director of the NASA Educational Center for New York State.

Ellen retired in 2004 and moved to Frederick in 2008 to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Today, she is active as a board member of the League of Women Voters and member of Rise Up Frederick. In her spare time, she is a volunteer Master Gardener.