... Frankling Chang Diaz ( Astronaut ) ...
by Infocostarica Staff

Chang Diaz is a conqueror. He's one of the few individuals curiosity for life, have bestowed upon him the terrible responsibility of reaching towards the infinite, of conquering space. Guido Saenz

Franklin Chang Diaz is the only one of 447 million Latin Americans who have conquered space. Furthermore, he’s the highest-ranking Latin America in NASA. But the most incredible fact about Chang Diaz is that he's a humble man. So humble that he's achieved his success because of his belief that he needs to strive for more, to learn and to understand more.

Chang Diaz was born on April 5, 1950, in Costa Rica and his mother is Maria Eugenia Diaz and his father Ramon Chang Morales, a Costa Rican of Chinese descent. In 1951his parents moved with Franklin and his sister, Maria Eugenia, to Venezuela. Here is when something happened, that would change Franklin';s life forever. In 1957, his mother, Maria Eugenia, told him that the Russians had launched Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth. Franklin climbed up a mango tree and watched the sky for hours. Little did his parents know that the seed of curiosity and adventure had been planted into six year-old Franklin.

Upon his return to Costa Rica, Franklin finished his schooling with excellent grades. Later, he decided to work in the National Bank of Costa Rica, in order to save some money and to travel and study in the United States. In eight months he saved $50, which in those days went a lot further than today. He traveled to Hartford, Connecticut and stayed at a relative's house. Then, he enrolled in the senior year of high school, in order to improve his English. It was during this year that young Franklin impressed his teachers, especially in the subjects of Mathematics and Science. They recommended him to apply for a scholarship at the University of Connecticut, but due to a misunderstanding, he was turned down. The Admissions department at the university thought that he was Puerto Rican, thus a U.S. citizen, and decided to give him the scholarship, but when they found out otherwise, he was rejected. Nevertheless, Chang’s performance during high school had been so outstanding, that his teachers convinced the university to make an exception, and he was finally admitted.

His brilliant academic career didn't stop there- Chang was given another sholarship, this time for a P.H.D. program in M.I.T. This program lasted from 1973 to 1977, at which point, Franklin Chang decided that it was time to make his dream come true, and to apply for an astronaut position in NASA. However, he was rejected. Chang didn&'t give up, however, and he decided to keep working in the United States. There, he met his first wife, Canoce Buker, with whom he had two girls, Jean and Sonia. Years later he would meet his second wife, Peggy Doncaster, with whom he has a child named Lidia. By 1980, Franklin Chang had lived more than ten years in the United States, and he received his American citizenship.

Having acquired his U.S. citizenship, Chang tried again for an astronaut position in NASA. Chang was one of four thousand applicants that applied to nineteen positions that were available. Chang was chosen, and in 1981, he began his training as an astronaut. Franklin Chang Diaz and his family in Costa Rica were thrilled and proud of this accomplishment, which had only been possible because of Chang's incredible talent and relentless determination.

On January 12, 1986, Chang';s dream came true. He participated in his first space mission aboard the Columbia spacecraft. In this trip Chang observed the Halley Comet closely, and he conducted several experiments dealing with the ozone layer around the Earth and the formation of ice in space. This first mission would be one of several others that would come later; Chang Diaz is the individual that has participated the most in space shuttle missions (currently six missions).

This outstanding scientist and astronaut is currently working in the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, where he's designing a plasma motor that promises to enable space shuttles to travel much faster and much further. Chang's other focus of investigation is the research of tropical diseases, such as the Chagas disease. He's working closely with other researchers in Costa Rican institutions like the Neotropica and the EARTH University and Research Center. Furthermore, Chang participates in talks and in meetings around the world. One of these meetings was the First Space Conference of the Americas, which was held in Costa Rica, and organized by Franklin';s brother, Ronald Chang.

Franklin Chang Diaz is a living legend in Costa Rica. Not only is he the first Costa Rican astronaut, but he's also one of the most prominent astronauts and scientists in the world. His success in space missions equals his accomplishments and discoveries in the laboratory. The little six-year-old boy who once watched the sky from a tree-top, has finally grasped the sky, the space and its wonders, thanks to years of hard work and determination. Today, Franklin Chang is active with Costa Rica's children and youth, because he knows that they too, will be able to grasp their dreams someday.