6th Grade Culture Project

Franklin R. Chang-Diaz:  Astronaut (b.1950) Franklin Chang-Diaz, Ph.D., was born into a poor family from San José, Costa Rica in 1950.  He emigrated to America and attended high school in Hartford, Connecticut.  Franklin earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering at the University of Connecticut and a doctorate in applied plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  After working as a scientist, Franklin became the first Hispanic astronaut in the NASA space program, in 1981.  He helped link the science community and the astronaut program together.  Franklin has spent more than 1,600 hours in space and survived six space missions.  He has earned seven NASA Space Flight Medals, a Medal of Excellence from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Flight Achievement Award from the American Astronautical Society, the Wyld Propulsion Award for 21 years of engine research, and several honorary doctoral degrees.  Now he is an adjunct professor and directs the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center in Texas.  Franklin like to spend time with his wife and four children, scuba dive, play soccer, and hike.  Marsh, Carole, The Best Book of Hispanic Biographies.,Galopade Interational:  2003 p.13.    

Helpful sites:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Franklin-R.-Chang_Diaz

http://www.astronautix.com/astros/chagdiaz.htm

http://www.thespaceplace.com/shuttle/missions/sts-91.html