Franklin Chang-Díaz

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Franklin Chang-Díaz: Costa Rican‑American astronaut and physicist

Franklin Ramón Chang-Díaz (born April 5, 1950) is a Costa Rican–American mechanical engineer, physicist, and former NASA astronaut. He founded Ad Astra Rocket Company and serves on the Cummins board. He became an American citizen in 1977. Chang-Díaz is the first Latin American immigrant NASA astronaut to go into space and has been honored by his home country for his achievements.

Family and education
Chang-Díaz was born in San José, Costa Rica, as one of six children. He moved to the United States for schooling and finished high school in Hartford, Connecticut. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Science and a Doctor of Science (PhD) in plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His graduate work focused on fusion technology and plasma-based rocket propulsion.

NASA career
In 1980, Chang-Díaz was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA. He flew seven Space Shuttle missions:
- STS-61-C (1986)
- STS-34 (1989)
- STS-46 (1992)
- STS-60 (1994)
- STS-75 (1996)
- STS-91 (1998)
- STS-111 (2002)

During STS-111, he performed three spacewalks (EVAs) as part of the construction of the International Space Station. He led the Johnson Space Center’s Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory from 1993 to 2005 and retired from NASA in 2005. His space time totals about 66 days, 18 hours, and 16 minutes, with 3 EVAs totaling roughly 19 hours and 31 minutes.

Post‑NASA career
After NASA, Chang-Díaz founded Ad Astra Rocket Company to develop advanced plasma rocket propulsion. The company created the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR), an electrically powered propulsion system with potential for faster space travel and ambitious mission concepts, including crewed journeys to Mars given sufficient power.

Beyond propulsion, he is active in environmental protection and climate-change education, including outreach through Odyssey 2050. He is an adjunct professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University. Since 2009, he has served on the board of Cummins.

Personal life
Chang-Díaz has been connected to the political and scientific community in the United States. He is the father of Sonia Chang-Díaz, a Massachusetts politician. He married Peggy Marguerite Doncaster (Peggy Doncaster) in 1984, and they have two daughters born in Houston, Texas.

Awards and honors
Chang-Díaz received the Medal of Liberty in 1986 and was inducted into the NASA Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2012. He has been honored in Costa Rica with multiple decorations and has had institutions named after him, including CeNAT, the Costa Rican National Center for High Technology. In 2014, he received The Explorers Club’s Buzz Aldrin Quadrennial Space Award.

Quick facts
- Time in space: 66 days, 18 hours, 16 minutes
- Spacewalks (EVAs): 3
- Total EVA time: 19 hours, 31 minutes
- Notable missions: STS-61-C, STS-34, STS-46, STS-60, STS-75, STS-91, STS-111

Franklin Chang-Díaz’s career spans groundbreaking work in space propulsion, leadership in spaceflight, and ongoing contributions to science, education, and technology development.