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'''Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz''' (born April 5, 1950)<ref name="Curr Bio">{{cite book|title=Current Biography Yearbook 2011|year=2011|publisher=H.W. Wilson|location=Ipswich, MA|isbn=9780824211219|pages=121–124|chapter=Chang-Díaz, Franklin}}</ref> is a [[Costa Rican]]-American [[Mechanical engineering|mechanical engineer]], [[physics|physicist]] and former [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]. He became an American citizen in 1977.<ref name=ws20071114>{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071115161244/http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/story/80-franklin_chang_diaz_astronaut_and_rocket_scientist.html |date=November 15, 2007 |title=Franklin Chang-Diaz: Astronaut and Rocket Scientist }}, ''[[Wired Science]]'', November 14, 2007.</ref> He is of [[Chinese people|Chinese]] (paternal grandfather) and Costa Rican Spanish (maternal side) descent.<ref>[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html NASA biography] NASA, August 2005.</ref>
'''Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz''' (born April 5, 1950)<ref name="Curr Bio">{{cite book|title=Current Biography Yearbook 2011|year=2011|publisher=H.W. Wilson|location=Ipswich, MA|isbn=9780824211219|pages=121–124|chapter=Chang-Díaz, Franklin}}</ref> is a [[Costa Rican]]-American [[Mechanical engineering|mechanical engineer]], [[physics|physicist]] and former [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]. He became an American citizen in 1977.<ref name=ws20071114>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/story/80-franklin_chang_diaz_astronaut_and_rocket_scientist.html |title=Franklin Chang-Diaz: Astronaut and Rocket Scientist |accessdate=2010-01-12 |deadurl=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071115161244/http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/story/80-franklin_chang_diaz_astronaut_and_rocket_scientist.html |archivedate=November 15, 2007 |df= }}, ''[[Wired Science]]'', November 14, 2007.</ref> He is of [[Chinese people|Chinese]] (paternal grandfather) and Costa Rican Spanish (maternal side) descent.<ref>[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html NASA biography] NASA, August 2005.</ref>
Chang Díaz is currently [[president]] and [[CEO]] of [[Ad Astra Rocket Company]].<ref name="aarc-aa-20100310">[http://www.adastrarocket.com/aarc/AboutUs Ad Astra Rocket Company &ndash; About us], company website, accessed 2010-03-10</ref>
Chang Díaz is currently [[president]] and [[CEO]] of [[Ad Astra Rocket Company]].<ref name="aarc-aa-20100310">[http://www.adastrarocket.com/aarc/AboutUs Ad Astra Rocket Company &ndash; About us], company website, accessed 2010-03-10</ref>
He is a veteran of seven [[Space Shuttle missions]], making him the record holder as of 2018 for the most [[spaceflights]] (a record he shares with [[Jerry L. Ross]]). He was the first [[Latin American]] to go into space.<ref>{{cite web|last=NOVA Science Now|title=Profile: Franklin Chang-Diaz|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/profile-chang-diaz.html|publisher=PBS|accessdate=April 21, 2011}} The first Latin American to go into space was [[Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez]] from [[Cuba]] in 1980, and second was [[Rodolfo Neri Vela]] from [[Mexico]] in 1985.</ref> Chang Díaz is a member of the NASA [[Astronaut Hall of Fame]].
He is a veteran of seven [[Space Shuttle missions]], making him the record holder as of 2018 for the most [[spaceflights]] (a record he shares with [[Jerry L. Ross]]). He was the first [[Latin American]] to go into space.<ref>{{cite web|last=NOVA Science Now|title=Profile: Franklin Chang-Diaz|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/profile-chang-diaz.html|publisher=PBS|accessdate=April 21, 2011}} The first Latin American to go into space was [[Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez]] from [[Cuba]] in 1980, and second was [[Rodolfo Neri Vela]] from [[Mexico]] in 1985.</ref> Chang Díaz is a member of the NASA [[Astronaut Hall of Fame]].
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==Family and education==
==Family and education==
Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz was born in [[San José, Costa Rica]] on April 5, 1950 to a father of [[Chinese people in Costa Rica|Chinese]] descent, Ramón Ángel Chang Morales
Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz was born in [[San José, Costa Rica]] on April 5, 1950 to a father of [[Chinese people in Costa Rica|Chinese]] descent, Ramón Ángel Chang Morales
(born 1919), an oil worker whose own father fled China during the [[Boxer Rebellion]].<ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3433800026.html Chang-Díaz, Franklin R.: 1950—: Astronaut, Physicist] Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved: 2012-05-05.</ref> His mother is Costa Rican, María Eugenia Díaz Romero (born 1927). One of six children, he has a younger sister, Sonia Rosa (born December 1952), and his mother, brothers, and sisters live in Costa Rica. His elder daughters are Jean Elizabeth (born December 1973), and [[Sonia Chang-Díaz|Sonia Rosa]] (born March 1978) who is a member of the [[Massachusetts Senate]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1130129 |title=Sonia Chang-Diaz grabs Senate seat - BostonHerald.com |accessdate=2008-11-08 |work=[[Boston Herald]] |date=2008-11-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/09/17/a_senate_fixture_toppled/ |title=A Senate fixture toppled: Chang-Díaz defeats embattled Wilkerson in primary |accessdate=2008-11-08 |publisher=Boston Globe |date=2008-09-17 | first=John C. | last=Drake}}</ref> He married Peggy Marguerite Doncaster in the United States on 17 December 1984 and his younger daughters are Lidia Aurora (born March 1988) and Miranda Karina (July 1995),<ref>[http://www.babsonlatinamerica.com/forum2012/work/dr-franklin-r-chang-diaz/ Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz – Keynote Speaker] Babson. Retrieved: 2012-05-05.</ref> both born in [[Houston]], [[Texas]].<ref name="tse">[http://www.tse.go.cr/consulta_persona/consulta_nombres.aspx Consultas de hechos y actos civiles y electorales] Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved: 2012-05-05. {{es icon}}</ref><ref name="díaz">[http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/ESPECIALES/raices/diazmunoz1.html La familia Díaz de San José] La Nación. Retrieved: 2012-05-05. {{es icon}}</ref><ref name="kit">[http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/presskit/1996/STS-75_Press_Kit.txt Space Shuttle Mission STS-75 Press Kit] NASA. February 1996.</ref><ref name="nasabio">[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html Biographical Data: Franklin R. Chang-Dìaz (Ph.D.)] NASA. August 2005.</ref>
(born 1919), an oil worker whose own father fled China during the [[Boxer Rebellion]].<ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3433800026.html Chang-Díaz, Franklin R.: 1950—: Astronaut, Physicist] Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved: 2012-05-05.</ref> His mother is Costa Rican, María Eugenia Díaz Romero (born 1927). One of six children, he has a younger sister, Sonia Rosa (born December 1952), and his mother, brothers, and sisters live in Costa Rica. His elder daughters are Jean Elizabeth (born December 1973), and [[Sonia Chang-Díaz|Sonia Rosa]] (born March 1978) who is a member of the [[Massachusetts Senate]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1130129 |title=Sonia Chang-Diaz grabs Senate seat - BostonHerald.com |accessdate=2008-11-08 |work=[[Boston Herald]] |date=2008-11-05 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910134923/http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1130129 |archivedate=2012-09-10 |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/09/17/a_senate_fixture_toppled/ |title=A Senate fixture toppled: Chang-Díaz defeats embattled Wilkerson in primary |accessdate=2008-11-08 |publisher=Boston Globe |date=2008-09-17 | first=John C. | last=Drake}}</ref> He married Peggy Marguerite Doncaster in the United States on 17 December 1984 and his younger daughters are Lidia Aurora (born March 1988) and Miranda Karina (July 1995),<ref>[http://www.babsonlatinamerica.com/forum2012/work/dr-franklin-r-chang-diaz/ Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz – Keynote Speaker] Babson. Retrieved: 2012-05-05.</ref> both born in [[Houston]], [[Texas]].<ref name="tse">[http://www.tse.go.cr/consulta_persona/consulta_nombres.aspx Consultas de hechos y actos civiles y electorales] Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved: 2012-05-05. {{es icon}}</ref><ref name="díaz">[http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/ESPECIALES/raices/diazmunoz1.html La familia Díaz de San José] La Nación. Retrieved: 2012-05-05. {{es icon}}</ref><ref name="kit">[http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/presskit/1996/STS-75_Press_Kit.txt Space Shuttle Mission STS-75 Press Kit] NASA. February 1996.</ref><ref name="nasabio">[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html Biographical Data: Franklin R. Chang-Dìaz (Ph.D.)] NASA. August 2005.</ref>


He attended elementary school at Father Juan de Barnuevo in [[Altagracia de Orituco]], [[Guarico]] state, [[Venezuela]]. He graduated from [http://www.lasalle.ed.cr/ Colegio de La Salle] in San José in November 1967, then moved to the United States to finish his [[high school]] education at [[Hartford Public High School]] in Connecticut, in 1969.<ref name="nasabio" /> He went on to attend the [[University of Connecticut]], where he earned a [[Bachelor of Science]] in [[mechanical engineering]] and joined the federal [[TRIO (program)|TRIO]] [http://www.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html Student Support Services] program in 1973.<ref name=bio>[http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/chang-diaz_franklin.htm Spacefacts Biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz]. ''Spacefacts''. Retrieved July 18, 2011.</ref> He then attended the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], where he earned a [[Doctor of Science]] in applied [[plasma physics]] in 1977.<ref name=bio/> For his graduate research at MIT, Chang Díaz worked in the field of [[nuclear fusion|fusion]] technology and plasma-based [[rocket propulsion]].<ref name=ws20071114/>
He attended elementary school at Father Juan de Barnuevo in [[Altagracia de Orituco]], [[Guarico]] state, [[Venezuela]]. He graduated from [http://www.lasalle.ed.cr/ Colegio de La Salle] in San José in November 1967, then moved to the United States to finish his [[high school]] education at [[Hartford Public High School]] in Connecticut, in 1969.<ref name="nasabio" /> He went on to attend the [[University of Connecticut]], where he earned a [[Bachelor of Science]] in [[mechanical engineering]] and joined the federal [[TRIO (program)|TRIO]] [http://www.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html Student Support Services] program in 1973.<ref name=bio>[http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/chang-diaz_franklin.htm Spacefacts Biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz]. ''Spacefacts''. Retrieved July 18, 2011.</ref> He then attended the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], where he earned a [[Doctor of Science]] in applied [[plasma physics]] in 1977.<ref name=bio/> For his graduate research at MIT, Chang Díaz worked in the field of [[nuclear fusion|fusion]] technology and plasma-based [[rocket propulsion]].<ref name=ws20071114/>
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* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html NASA Biography]
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html NASA Biography]
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/chang-diaz_franklin.htm Spacefacts biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz]
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/chang-diaz_franklin.htm Spacefacts biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz]
* [http://www.franklinchangdiaz.com Home page of Franklin Chang-Diaz]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090317124225/http://www.franklinchangdiaz.com/ Home page of Franklin Chang-Diaz]
* [http://discovermagazine.com/2014/may/12-rocketman] Discover Magazine article by Steve Nadis, "The Revolutionary Rocket That Could Shuttle Humans to Mars"
* [http://discovermagazine.com/2014/may/12-rocketman] Discover Magazine article by Steve Nadis, "The Revolutionary Rocket That Could Shuttle Humans to Mars"
* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0403/04.html NOVA scienceNOW profile]
* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0403/04.html NOVA scienceNOW profile]

Revision as of 14:48, 6 October 2017

Template:Spanish name

Franklin Chang Díaz (张福林)
Born (1950-04-05) April 5, 1950 (age 74)
San José, Costa Rica
StatusRetired
NationalityCosta Rican and American
Alma materUniversity of Connecticut (BS, 1973)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (ScD, 1977)
OccupationPhysicist
Space career
NASA Astronaut
Time in space
66 d 18 h 16 m
Selection1980 NASA Group
MissionsSTS-61-C, STS-34, STS-46, STS-60, STS-75, STS-91, STS-111
Mission insignia
Franklin Chang-Díaz
Simplified Chinese张福林
Traditional Chinese張福林
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhāng Fúlín
Wade–GilesChang Fu-lin

Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz (born April 5, 1950)[1] is a Costa Rican-American mechanical engineer, physicist and former NASA astronaut. He became an American citizen in 1977.[2] He is of Chinese (paternal grandfather) and Costa Rican Spanish (maternal side) descent.[3] Chang Díaz is currently president and CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Company.[4] He is a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions, making him the record holder as of 2018 for the most spaceflights (a record he shares with Jerry L. Ross). He was the first Latin American to go into space.[5] Chang Díaz is a member of the NASA Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Family and education

Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz was born in San José, Costa Rica on April 5, 1950 to a father of Chinese descent, Ramón Ángel Chang Morales (born 1919), an oil worker whose own father fled China during the Boxer Rebellion.[6] His mother is Costa Rican, María Eugenia Díaz Romero (born 1927). One of six children, he has a younger sister, Sonia Rosa (born December 1952), and his mother, brothers, and sisters live in Costa Rica. His elder daughters are Jean Elizabeth (born December 1973), and Sonia Rosa (born March 1978) who is a member of the Massachusetts Senate.[7][8] He married Peggy Marguerite Doncaster in the United States on 17 December 1984 and his younger daughters are Lidia Aurora (born March 1988) and Miranda Karina (July 1995),[9] both born in Houston, Texas.[10][11][12][13]

He attended elementary school at Father Juan de Barnuevo in Altagracia de Orituco, Guarico state, Venezuela. He graduated from Colegio de La Salle in San José in November 1967, then moved to the United States to finish his high school education at Hartford Public High School in Connecticut, in 1969.[13] He went on to attend the University of Connecticut, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and joined the federal TRIO Student Support Services program in 1973.[14] He then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Doctor of Science in applied plasma physics in 1977.[14] For his graduate research at MIT, Chang Díaz worked in the field of fusion technology and plasma-based rocket propulsion.[2]

NASA major

Chang Díaz was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1980 and first flew aboard 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 spacewalks with Philippe Perrin as part of the construction of the International Space Station. He was also director of the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center from 1993 to 2005. Chang Díaz retired from NASA in 2005.[2]

Post-NASA Major

After leaving NASA, Chang Díaz set up the Ad Astra Rocket Company, which became dedicated to the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology. Years of research and development have produced the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR), an electrical propulsion device for use in space.[15] With a flexible mode of operation, the rocket can achieve very high exhaust speeds, and even has the theoretical capability to take a manned rocket to Mars in 39 days.[16]

Chang Díaz also is active in environmental protection and raising awareness about climate change, notably in his role in Odyssey 2050 The Movie in which he encourages young people to get motivated about environmental issues.[17]

Dr. Chang with students during the filming of Odyssey 2050 The Movie at Ad Astra Rocket Company.

In addition, Chang Díaz is an Adjunct Professor in Physics and Astronomy at Rice University.[18] He has been on the board of directors of Cummins since Dec 08, 2009.[19]

Awards and honors

Franklin Chang Díaz was inducted into the NASA Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 5, 2012[20] in a ceremony that took place in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Also, due to his career and scientific success, he has been decorated multiple times in Costa Rica and named Honor Citizen by the national legislature.[13] The Costa Rican National High Technology Center (CeNAT), among other institutions, is named after him.[21] In 2014, Chang Díaz was awarded the "Buzz Aldrin Quadrennial Space Award" by The Explorers Club for the VASIMR. Buzz Aldrin, whom Chang Díaz called a childhood hero, presented the award.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Chang-Díaz, Franklin". Current Biography Yearbook 2011. Ipswich, MA: H.W. Wilson. 2011. pp. 121–124. ISBN 9780824211219.
  2. ^ a b c "Franklin Chang-Diaz: Astronaut and Rocket Scientist". Archived from the original on November 15, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help), Wired Science, November 14, 2007.
  3. ^ NASA biography NASA, August 2005.
  4. ^ Ad Astra Rocket Company – About us, company website, accessed 2010-03-10
  5. ^ NOVA Science Now. "Profile: Franklin Chang-Diaz". PBS. Retrieved April 21, 2011. The first Latin American to go into space was Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez from Cuba in 1980, and second was Rodolfo Neri Vela from Mexico in 1985.
  6. ^ Chang-Díaz, Franklin R.: 1950—: Astronaut, Physicist Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved: 2012-05-05.
  7. ^ "Sonia Chang-Diaz grabs Senate seat - BostonHerald.com". Boston Herald. 2008-11-05. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2008-11-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Drake, John C. (2008-09-17). "A Senate fixture toppled: Chang-Díaz defeats embattled Wilkerson in primary". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  9. ^ Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz – Keynote Speaker Babson. Retrieved: 2012-05-05.
  10. ^ Consultas de hechos y actos civiles y electorales Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved: 2012-05-05. Template:Es icon
  11. ^ La familia Díaz de San José La Nación. Retrieved: 2012-05-05. Template:Es icon
  12. ^ Space Shuttle Mission STS-75 Press Kit NASA. February 1996.
  13. ^ a b c Biographical Data: Franklin R. Chang-Dìaz (Ph.D.) NASA. August 2005.
  14. ^ a b Spacefacts Biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz. Spacefacts. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  15. ^ "NASA - Propulsion Systems of the Future". Nasa.gov. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  16. ^ Billings, Lee (2009-09-29). "Former astronaut Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz explains how his plasma rocket engine could revolutionize space travel and why we need nuclear power in space". seedmagazine.com. Seed Media Group. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  17. ^ Whelan, Ben. "Odyssey 2050". Odyssey 2050. British Embassy Costa Rica. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  18. ^ "Franklin Chang-Diaz". Faculty Information System. Rice University. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  19. ^ "Cummins.com > News Article". 2009-12-08.
  20. ^ "Collect Space". Collect Space. 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  21. ^ Address: Building Dr. Franklin Chang Diaz, 1.3 km. North American Embajada Pavas, San Jose, Costa Rica Centro Nacional de Alta de Tecnología (CeNAT), 2011.
  22. ^ "Grupo científico mundial premia a Franklin Chang". La Nacion. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
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