Franklin Ramon Chang-Diaz

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Franklin Chang-Díaz
Franklin Chang-Díaz
Country: United States
Organization: NASA
selected on May 19, 1980
(9th NASA Group)
Calls: 7 space flights
Start of the
first space flight: 		January 12, 1986
Landing of the
last space flight: 		June 19, 2002
Time in space: 66d 18h ​​16min
EVA inserts: 3
EVA total duration: 19h 31min
retired on July 2005
Space flights

Franklin Chang Díaz (* 5. April 1950 in San Jose , Costa Rica ) is a former astronaut of NASA . As part of his work at NASA, Chang had to become a US citizen in order to participate in space missions. He is married and has four kids. His daughter Sonia Chang-Díaz has been a member of the Massachusetts Senate since 2009 .

Chang-Díaz graduated from Colegio De La Salle in San José in November 1967 and went to Hartford High School in Hartford ( Connecticut ) until 1969 . He received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1973 . There he worked as a research assistant in the physics department, where he was involved in the construction of experiments on high-energy, atomic collisions. He wrote his doctoral thesis on plasma physics and nuclear fusion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1977.

NASA activities

Chang-Díaz was selected as an astronaut candidate in May 1980. During his training, which he completed in August 1981, he was already busy with software tests for the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Between October 1984 and August 1985, he led the support group at the Kennedy Space Center .

Chang-Díaz left NASA in July 2005.

STS-61-C

STS-61-C took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 12, 1986 . Chang-Díaz was involved in the launch of the SATCOM KU satellite and carried out experiments in astrophysics . After orbiting the earth 96 times, the space shuttle Columbia landed six days at Edwards Air Force Base in California .

STS-34

During the STS-34 mission, Atlantis deployed the Galileo probe to explore the planet Jupiter. Take off was on October 18, 1989 from Kennedy Space Center, landing on October 23 at Edwards Air Force Base.

STS-46

The space shuttle Atlantis was launched on July 31, 1992 from the Kennedy Space Center for the STS-46 mission. During the eight-day flight, the EURECA satellite was suspended and tests were carried out with the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) . The landing also took place on August 8th at the Kennedy Space Center.

STS-60

STS-60 was the first flight of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF-1) and the second flight of the Spacehab aboard the Discovery . Take-off and landing took place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-75

The Columbia took off on February 22, 1996 from the Kennedy Space Center for the STS-75 mission . The Tethered Satellite System (TSS) was used again on the 15-day mission . TSS proved that this system could generate electricity. It was also the third flight of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-3) .

STS-91

STS-91 , carried out by Discovery, was the ninth and final docking maneuver of a shuttle at the Russian Mir space station . It marked the end of a successful collaboration. Take-off and landing took place at the Kennedy Space Center. With this flight he caught up with John Young and F. Story Musgrave with six space flights.

STS-111

The Endeavor brought a new crew and the Canadian Mobile Base System with a robotic arm to the International Space Station (ISS). The team repaired a joint in the remote manipulator at short notice during the mission. During the flight, Chang-Díaz took part in three outboard activities. Because of bad weather, the Endeavor had to land at Edwards Air Force Base in California after thirteen days. With this flight he caught up with Jerry Ross with seven space flights.

Summary

No mission function Flight date Flight duration
1 STS-61-C Mission specialist January 12th-18th January 1986 6d 2h 03m
2 STS-34 Mission specialist October 18–23. October 1989 4d 23h 39m
3 STS-46 Mission specialist July 31–8. August 1992 7d 23h 15m
4th STS-60 Mission specialist February 3–11. February 1994 8d 7h 09m
5 STS-75 Mission specialist February 22–9. March 1996 15d 17h 40m
6th STS-91 Mission specialist June 2nd - December 12th June 1998 9d 19h 54m
7th STS-111 Mission specialist June 5–19. June 2002 13d 20h 34m

EVAs

No. date Along with Duration
[hh: mm] 		mission
1 June 9, 2002 Philippe Perrin 7:14 STS-111
2 June 11, 2002 Philippe Perrin 5:00 STS-111
3 June 13, 2002 Philippe Perrin 7:17 STS-111

According to NASA

Chang-Díaz left NASA in July 2005. He founded the Ad Astra Rocket Company , which specializes in the development of plasma propulsion systems in space travel. In January 2006, Ad Astra and NASA signed a framework agreement for the development and use of the VASIMR propulsion concept , which Chang-Díaz had designed in 1979 and continually developed. The contract was extended in December 2007.

Awards

  • NASA Space Flight Medals (7 ×)
  • NASA Distinguished Service Medals (2 ×)
  • NASA Exceptional Service Medals (3 ×).
  • Various honorary doctorates
  • Honorary Citizen of Costa Rica

Special features and records

  • second person with seven space flights

See also

Web links

Commons : Franklin Chang-Diaz  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ NASA biography of Franklin Ramon Chang-Diaz , September 2012, accessed on March 10, 2016 (PDF).
personal data
SURNAME Chang-Diaz, Franklin Ramon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Chang-Diaz, Franklin Ramón
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American astronaut
DATE OF BIRTH April 5, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH San Jose , Costa Rica