I had the honor of meeting Franklin Chang Diaz this past weekend during a book signing in my office complex. He was kind enough to speak with me and take a photo together.>/p>

I found him to be very nice and down-to-earth. The Ticos look up to him as a National Hero and a living legend of sorts. Many foreigners have no idea who he is or what his importance is to this country.

So who is Franklin Chang Diaz?

Born in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1950, Franklin Chang aspired to be an astronaut from the early age of 6. His mother had mentioned to him in 1956 that the Russian’s had launched Sputnik I (the first man-made satellite to orbit Earth).

He was so inspired, he decided to climb a mango tree and look to the sky for hours. His parents didn’t realize it was at this moment that the seed of exploration was planted into their son.

Chang attended high school in the states and graduated from University of Connecticut and a PhD from MIT. He is a dual-citizen of Costa Rica and the United States. He spends much of his year in the states, but still dedicates a lot of time and effort to his home country. Most of his family still resides in Costa Rica full-time.

Many in the world consider Franklin Chang to be among the best scientists and astronauts in the world. He was the first Latin American and the first Costa Rican to ever conquer space.

His first mission was in 1981 aboard the Columbia spacecraft. Chang has the most space missions of anyone in NASA totaling seven (he shares this record with Jerry L. Ross) and has logged over 1,601 hours in space, including 19 hours and 31 minutes in three spacewalks.

He is a brilliant scientist, having developed Plasma Rocket Propulsion Technology. In 2004, Chang formed the Ad Astra Rocket Company in Webster, Texas. The following year, the Ad Astra Rocket Company Costa Rica was formed near Liberia in the province of Guanacaste. His company is located on the campus of Earth University, some 10 km west of Liberia.

Apparently I am not the only one who thinks that Chang is humble and down-to-earth. He is adored by Costa Ricans throughout the country for his brilliance, accomplishments and demeanor.

Chang also gives back to his country by speaking with youth to encourage them to follow their dreams and never give up. He faced many obstacles in his quest to become a NASA astronaut, but he never let anything get in the way of his dreams.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.