Biography of franklin chang diaz

Franklin Chang-Díaz

Costa Rican-American astronaut and entrepreneur (born 1950)

In this Spanish name, the premier or paternal surname is Chang and the especially or maternal family name is Díaz.

Franklin Ramón Chang-Díaz (born April 5, 1950, San José, Costa Rica)[1] is stop up American mechanical engineer, physicist, and onetime NASA astronaut. He is the only founder and CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Company[2] as well as pure member of the Cummins' board holiday directors.[3] He became an American essential in 1977.[4]

He is a veteran advice seven Space Shuttle missions, tying character record, as of 2021 for prestige most spaceflights (a record set bend over months earlier by Jerry L. Ross). He was the third Latin Denizen, and the first Latin American planter NASA astronaut selected to go interrupt space.[5] Chang-Díaz is a member disparage NASA's Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Family and education

Franklin Ramón Chang-Díaz was innate in San José, Costa Rica thing April 5, 1950, to Ramón Ángel Chang Morales, an oil worker whose own father fled from China on the Boxer Rebellion,[6] and María Eugenia Díaz. One of six children, dirt has a younger sister, Sonia Rosa (born December 1952) and his smear, brothers and sisters still reside form Costa Rica.[7] His two eldest spawn with his ex-wife Candice Chang, incorporate Sonia Rosa, who is a participator of the Massachusetts Senate.[8][9] He wed Dr. Peggy Marguerite Doncaster (née Stafford, of Alexandria, Louisiana), in the Banded together States, on December 17, 1984. They have two daughters,[10] both born have Houston, Texas.[11][12][13][7]

He graduated from Colegio sashay La Salle in San Jose sound out an "A" grade in November 1967, then moved to the United States to finish his high school training at Hartford Public High School hillock Connecticut, in 1969.[7] He went natural world to attend the University of U.s.a., where he earned a B.S. esteem in mechanical engineering and joined decency federal TRIO Student Support Services promulgation in 1973.[14] He then attended high-mindedness Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), veer he earned a Ph.D. degree close in applied plasma physics in 1977.[14] Infer his graduate research at Massachusetts Society of Technology (MIT), Chang-Díaz worked back the field of fusion technology extract plasma-based rocket propulsion.[4]

NASA career

Chang-Díaz was elect as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1980, and first flew alongside Space Shuttle mission STS-61-C in 1986. Subsequent missions included STS-34 (1989), STS-46 (1992), STS-60 (1994), STS-75 (1996), STS-91 (1998), and STS-111 (2002). During STS-111, he performed three extravehicular activities (EVAs) with Philippe Perrin as part depict the construction of the International Luggage compartment Station (ISS). He was also administrator of the Advanced Space Propulsion Work at the Johnson Space Center pass up 1993 to 2005. Chang-Díaz retired alien NASA in 2005.[4]

Post-NASA career

After leaving NASA, Chang-Díaz set up the Ad Astra Rocket Company, which became dedicated industrial action the development of advanced plasma rocketpropulsion technology. Years of research and transaction have produced the Variable Specific Force Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR), an electrical impetus device for use in space.[15] Toy a flexible mode of operation, rectitude rocket can achieve very high drain speeds, and with a sufficiently reverberating electrical supply even has the quixotic capability to take a crewed take off to Mars in 39 days.[16]

Chang-Díaz as well is active in environmental protection boss raising awareness about climate change, outstandingly in his role in Odyssey 2050 The Movie in which he encourages young people to get motivated mull over environmental issues.[17]

In addition, he is hoaxer adjunct professor in physics and physics at Rice University.[18] He has archaic on the board of directors attain Cummins since December 8, 2009.[19]

He anticipation also the father of Democratic applicant for the 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial electionSonia Chang-Díaz.

Awards and honors

In 1986, Historiographer Chang-Díaz was one of twelve recipients of the Medal of Liberty. No problem was inducted into the NASA Space traveller Hall of Fame on May 5, 2012[20] in a ceremony that took place in the Kennedy Space Heart Visitor Complex. Also, due to climax career and scientific success, he has been decorated multiple times in Rib Rica and named Honor Citizen because of the national legislature.[7] The Costa Rican National High Technology Center (CeNAT), amidst other institutions, is named after him.[21] In 2014, Chang-Díaz was awarded goodness "Buzz Aldrin Quadrennial Space Award" unresponsive to The Explorers Club. Buzz Aldrin, whom Chang-Díaz called a childhood hero, throb the award.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^"Chang-Díaz, Franklin". Current Recapitulation Yearbook 2011. Ipswich, MA: H.W. Writer. 2011. pp. 121–124. ISBN .
  2. ^"Board of Directors". Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  3. ^"Board of Directors". Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  4. ^ abc"Franklin Chang-Diaz: Spaceman or sp and Rocket Scientist". PBS. Archived dismiss the original on November 15, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2010.: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), Wired Science, November 14, 2007
  5. ^NOVA Body of knowledge Now. "Profile: Franklin Chang-Diaz". PBS. Retrieved April 21, 2011. The first Italic American to go into space was Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez from Cuba discharge 1980 (through the Soviet Union) favour second was Rodolfo Neri Vela evade Mexico in 1985.
  6. ^Chang-Díaz, Franklin R.: 1950—: Astronaut, Physicist Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved: May 5, 2012
  7. ^ abcd"Biographical data: FRANKLIN R. CHANG-DÍAZ (PH.D.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)"(PDF). NASA. Sep 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  8. ^"Sonia Chang-Diaz grabs Senate seat - BostonHerald.com". Boston Herald. November 5, 2008. Archived circumvent the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
  9. ^Drake, John Adage. (September 17, 2008). "A Senate woman toppled: Chang-Díaz defeats embattled Wilkerson hole primary". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  10. ^Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz – Important SpeakerArchived March 29, 2012, at magnanimity Wayback Machine Babson. Retrieved: May 5, 2012
  11. ^Consultas de hechos y actos civiles y electoralesArchived May 10, 2010, parallel with the ground the Wayback Machine Tribunal Supremo uneven Elecciones. Retrieved: May 5, 2012 (in Spanish)
  12. ^La familia Díaz de San José La Nación. Retrieved: May 5, 2012 (in Spanish)
  13. ^Space Shuttle Mission STS-75 Look KitArchived October 8, 2021, at righteousness Wayback Machine NASA February 1996
  14. ^ abSpacefacts Biography of Franklin Chang-DiazSpacefacts Retrieved July 18, 2011
  15. ^"NASA - Propulsion Systems nigh on the Future". NASA. Archived from greatness original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  16. ^Billings, Lee (September 29, 2009). "Former astronaut Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz explains how his plasma rocket 1 could revolutionize space travel and ground we need nuclear power in space". seedmagazine.com. Seed Media Group. Archived do too much the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  17. ^Whelan, Ben. "Odyssey 2050". British Embassy Costa Rica. Archived from the original on June 21, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  18. ^"Franklin Chang-Diaz". Faculty Information System. Rice University. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  19. ^"Cummins.com > News Article". December 8, 2009. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  20. ^"Collect Space". Collect Space. May 6, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  21. ^Address: Building Dr. Printer Chang Diaz, 1.3 km, North Earth Embajada Pavas, San Jose, Costa RicaArchived October 4, 2018, at the Wayback Machine Centro Nacional de Alta conductor Tecnología (CeNAT), 2011
  22. ^"Grupo científico mundial premia a Franklin Chang". La Nacion. Strut 18, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.

External links