Franklin Chang Díaz

Franklin Chang Díaz
Name	Franklin Chang Díaz
Caption	Chang Díaz in a NASA flight suit.
Type	NASA Astronaut
Nationality	Costa Rican, American
Status	Retired
Birth date	5 April 1950
Birth place	San José, Costa Rica
Occupation	Physicist, Engineer
Selection	1980 NASA Group
Time	59d 07h 22m
Mission	STS-61-C, STS-34, STS-46, STS-60, STS-75, STS-91, STS-111

Franklin Chang Díaz. A pioneering Costa Rican-American physicist and former NASA astronaut, he is renowned for his record-tying seven Space Shuttle missions and his groundbreaking work in advanced plasma propulsion. After a distinguished career with NASA, he founded Ad Astra Rocket Company to develop the revolutionary Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) engine, aiming to dramatically reduce travel time within the Solar System.

Early life and education

Born in San José, Costa Rica, he was inspired by the early Space Race and the launch of Sputnik 1. With limited funds and only a high school diploma from Colegio de La Salle, he immigrated to the United States to pursue his dream. He initially lived with relatives in Hartford, Connecticut, and worked while learning English. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1973. His academic excellence led him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he received a doctorate in applied plasma physics in 1977, conducting research at the prestigious MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

NASA career

Selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 1980, he became the first Latin American-born naturalized citizen of the United States to travel to space. His first mission was STS-61-C aboard Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986. He later served as a mission specialist on STS-34, which deployed the Galileo probe to Jupiter, and on STS-46, which deployed the Tethered Satellite System. He flew on the historic STS-60 mission, the first joint NASA-Roscosmos flight involving a Russian cosmonaut on the Space Shuttle. His final three flights were STS-75, STS-91 (the final Space Shuttle mission to the Mir space station), and STS-111 to the International Space Station, where he performed three spacewalks. He retired from NASA in 2005 after a career spanning 25 years.

Ad Astra Rocket Company

Following his NASA career, he founded the Ad Astra Rocket Company in 2005 to commercialize his research on advanced plasma rocket technology. The company's flagship project is the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR), a high-power electric propulsion system. Key development and testing has occurred at the company's facilities in Webster, Texas, near the Johnson Space Center, and in Liberia, Costa Rica. The technology has undergone testing in a simulated space environment at facilities like the NASA Johnson Space Center's Space Power Facility. Ad Astra Rocket Company has secured significant partnerships, including a collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for potential use on future lunar and Martian missions.

Scientific contributions

His primary scientific contribution is the invention and development of the VASIMR engine. This technology uses radio waves to ionize a propellant like argon into a superheated plasma, which is then directed and accelerated by powerful magnetic fields to produce thrust. The engine is designed for high efficiency and could potentially reduce travel time to Mars to under 40 days. His work bridges the fields of fusion power research, plasma physics, and aerospace engineering. He has authored numerous scientific papers and holds several patents related to plasma propulsion and magnetic confinement.

Awards and honors

He has received widespread recognition for his achievements. His honors include the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and the Order of the Sun from his native Costa Rica. He was inducted into the NASA Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2012. The Franklin Chang Díaz Science Museum in Costa Rica is named in his honor. Academic institutions like the University of Costa Rica and the University of Connecticut have awarded him honorary doctorates. He is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation.

Personal life

He is married to former NASA flight controller Peggy Marguerite Stafford, and they have four children. He maintains strong ties to Costa Rica, where he is considered a national hero and a prominent advocate for science and technology education. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Costa Rica. An avid proponent of commercial spaceflight and human space exploration, he frequently lectures on the future of interplanetary travel. His life story is often cited as an inspiration for young scientists and engineers across Latin America and the world.

Category:American astronauts Category:Costa Rican astronauts Category:1950 births Category:Living people