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 * FactMonster.com - Search under People and Biographies
 * [|Wikipedia] - search for Latinos in science, Latinos in technology, Hispanics in science, Hispanics in technology

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Franklin R. Chang-Díaz


 * first latino astronaut
 * Spent nearly 1300 hours in space
 * born in san jose, costa rica in 1950
 * graduated from Colegio De La Salle in San José
 * left his mother and brother in costa rico

Not very many NASA astronauts have chalked up more than a ten years in space, but Franklin Chang-Diaz says he's been touring the cosmos for almost half a century. Franklins first space ship was An oversized cardboard box, fueled by the imagination of a small boy who already knew he wanted to be a astronaut when he grew up and would meet every challenge to make it happen! ( First Hispanic Astronaut Lives Childhood Dream )

Franklin R. Chang Diaz was born on April 5th, 1950. he was born in San Jose Costa Rica, to Mr. Ramon A. Chang Morales and Mrs. Maria Eugenia Diaz De Chang. He enjoyed music, glider planes, scuba diving, soccer, and hiking. Franklin had six siblings one of which was Sonia Rosa Chang-Diaz his younger sister. in 1967 he graduated collage in Costa Rica from Colegio De La Salle. Then he moved to America leaving his mother in Costa Rica and he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1973 and a Doctorate in Applied Plasma Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977.(Astronaut Bio: Franklin Chang-Díaz ) After that he went to special training to become a astronaught.

Franklins first mission was on the space ship Columbia in January 1986. Other flights were the Atlantis mission in October 1989, which deployed the Galileo spacecraft that explored Jupiter, and in June 2002 the flight of Evdeavour, during that he participated in three space walks to help repair the robotic arm of the International Space Station (Franklin Chang-Diaz ). .

After a lot of har work and training he became the very first Latino / Hispanic astronaut ever! He recieved many awards like the Recipient of the University of Connecticuts Outstanding Alumni Award in 1980, 7 NASA Space Flight Medals in 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2 NASA Distinguished Service Medals in 1995, 1997 and 3 NASA Exceptional Service Medals in 1988, 1990, 1993. In 1986, he received the Liberty Medal from Ronald Reagan at the Statue of Liberty Centennial Celebration in New York and, in 1987, the Medal of Excellence from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He received the Cross of the Venezuelan Air Force from President Jaime Lusinchi during the 68th Anniversary of the Venezuelan Air Force in Caracas, Venezuela in 1988, and the Flight Achievement Award from the American Astronautical Society in 1989. Recipient of 4 Doctorates Honoris Causa”(Doctor of Science from the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Doctor of Science from the University of Connecticut, Doctor of Law from Babson College and Doctor of Science from the Universidade de Santiago de Chile. He is honorary faculty at the College of Engineering, University of Costa Rica. In 1995, the government of Costa Rica conferred on him the title of Honorary Citizen, it is the highest honor Costa Rica confers to a foreign citizen, making him the very first honoree who was really born there. Recipient of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2001 Wyld Propulsion Award for his 21 years of research on the VASIMR engine.(Astronaut Bio: Franklin Chang-Díaz )

He retired from NASA in 2005, as a hero being the first latino astronaut ever. Hes the founder and current Chairman and CEO of the company Ad Astra Rocket Company, which is a private firm specializing in advanced plasma rockets in Houston Texas, with research operations in Houston and Costa Rica. He still serves in academia as a Professor of Physics at Rice University and the University of Houston. He is married to the former Peggy Marguerite Doncaster of Alexandria, Louisiana and has four daughters: Jean Elizabeth who is thirty eight years old, Sonia Rosa who is twenty eight years old, Lidia Aurora who is eighteen years old and Miranda Karina who is eleven years old.Franklin enjoys music, flying and scuba-diving. His mother, brothers and sisters still reside in Costa Rica.( Biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz )

__**Works Cited**__

<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">"Astronaut Bio: Franklin Chang-Díaz (9/2012)." //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Astronaut Bio: Franklin Chang-Díaz (9/2012) //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. <http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/chang.html>.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">This website is crediblw because it was made by nasa and is recent

<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">"Biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz : The Wharton Global Alumni Forum-Costa Rica." //Biography of Franklin Chang-Diaz : The Wharton Global Alumni Forum-Costa Rica//. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. <http://www.whartoncostarica07.com/bio-s-chang-diaz.html>.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">this is a credible website because it has real facts compared to a nasa page

<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">"First Hispanic American Astronaut Lives Childhood Dream." //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">SpaceRef //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. <http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=11950>. <span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">
 * this is a good website to use because it is a website somewhat like yahoo

<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. "Franklin Chang-Diaz (Costa Rican-American Physicist and Astronaut)." //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Encyclopedia Britannica Online //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1168765/Franklin-Chang-Diaz>.


 * this site is credible because it is from a encclopedia