Franklin R. Chang-Díaz

Dr. Chang-Díaz is a veteran of seven space shuttle missions and holds a doctorate in applied plasma physics. His work as a scientist astronaut helped foster closer ties between the astronaut corp and the science community.

Quick Facts

Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Chang-Díaz joined the astronaut corp in 1980 and went on to fly seven space shuttle missions and logging over 19 hours in spacewalks.

With a Doctorate in Applied Plasma Physics from MIT, Chang-Díaz was the recipient of the AIAA 2001 Wyld Propulsion Award for his research on the VASIMR engine.

After retiring from NASA in 2005, Chang-Díaz founded the Ad Astra Rocket Company to continue his work with sustainable, high-power engines for space travel.

Franklin Chang-Diaz floating onboard the ISS Unity node. — STS-111 Mission Specialist Franklin R. Chang-Diaz in the Unity node on the International Space Station (ISS) during the transfer of supplies and equipment. (June 2002)
NASA

Franklin Chang-Diaz on a one-person raft during bailout simulation exercises. — Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz on a one-person life raft during a STS-46 bailout simulation exercise at the Johnson Space Center’s weightless environment training facility. (12 March 1992)
NASA

Franklin Chang-Diaz practicing a maneuver on the pitch roll joint for the Canadarm 2. — Mission Specialist Franklin Chang-Diaz (right) practices a maneuver on the replacement pitch roll joint for the SSRMS (Canadarm 2). The joint was installed during the STS-111 mission to the International Space Station. (30 May 2002)
NASA

Franklin Chang-Diaz aboard a T-38 jet aircraft — Franklin Chang-Diaz arrives at KSC aboard a T-38 jet aircraft to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, along with the Expedition 5 crew, for launch of mission STS-111. (May 2022)
NASA

Biography

Franklin R. Chang-Díaz

Selected by NASA as part of the 1980 class of Space Shuttle astronauts, Dr. Chang-Diaz first flew as a mission specialist on the STS-61C mission in 1986. HIs 25-year career as an astronaut included seven space shuttle missions and serving as the Director of the NASA Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory from 1994-2005 where he led the early development of the VASIMR® rocket engine. After retiring from NASA, Chang-Diaz founded the Ad Astra Rocket Company to continue his work to build sustainable, efficient, and high-power propulsion systems.

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Franklin Chang-Diaz holding a taco on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Columbia

STS-75 payload commander Franklin R. Chang-Diaz holding a taco at the galley on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. (February 1996)

NASA

Missions Flown by Franklin Chang-Díaz

STS-61C

The 24th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the seventh mission of Space Shuttle Columbia was launched on January 12, 1986.

STS-34

The STS-34 crewmembers onboard Atlantis successfully deployed the Galileo spacecraft on its journey to explore Jupiter during their mission in 1989.

STS-46

The STS-46 crew posed with seven flags that represented the global participation on the flight. During the eight-day mission, the crew deployed the European EURECA satellite and conducted the first Tethered Satellite System test flight.

STS-60

The first shuttle flight of a Russian cosmonaut on a U.S. space shuttle and the second flight of the SPACEHAB pressurized module.

STS-75

The STS-75 mission included a reflight of the Tethered Satellite System. The experiment produced new information on the electrodynamics of tethers and plasma physics.

STS-91

STS-91 was the ninth and final Shuttle-Mir docking mission and marked the conclusion of the highly successful Phase I of the International Space Station Program.

STS-111

Space Shuttle Endeavour delivered a new ISS resident crew and a Canadian-built mobile base for the Station's robotic arm. The STS-111 crew performed three spacewalks to perform the upgrade on the arm.