No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveTico astronaut Franklin Chang inducted into U.S. hall of fame

Tico astronaut Franklin Chang inducted into U.S. hall of fame

Franklin Chang, Costa Rica’s most beloved astronaut, will be one of three new inductees into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The announcement came earlier this week from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which has been overseeing the selections since the Hall of Fame’s inception in 1990.

Chang was the first Latin American to go to space. He’s also tied for the record for the most space trips, having been there seven times.

The previous 79 inductees include Alan Shepard and Neil Armstrong, and Chang will be inducted alongside Kevin Chilton, the military’s highest-ranking astronaut, and Charles Precourt, former chief of the NASA astronaut corps. The ceremony will take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on May 5.

“It’s a big honor to be in the same place as some of the people I admire, like John Young, John Glenn, Allan Shepard, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and many others,” Chang told The Tico Times. “I even had posters [of some of them] on my walls when I was a teenager.”

Chang is currently an entrepreneur in Costa Rica. Seven years ago, he founded Ad Astra Rocket, a technology company specializing in the creation of a plasma engine. In a press conference on Thursday, Chang announced the possibility for Costa Ricans to invest in the company.

“I think that Ad Astra Rocket was an important factor when considering me for the Hall of Fame. They not only take into consideration what you did while you were an active astronaut, but also the collaborations you have done after retiring. Therefore this is also a recognition of our company’s work and [our] Costa Rican team,” he said.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Court Orders Return of Public Land in Nosara

Community leaders in Nosara are demanding swift and transparent action from the Municipality of Nicoya after the Constitutional Court ordered the recovery of 80...

Costa Rica Unveils $800M Electric Train for San José Metro Area

Costa Rica has rolled out plans for a new electric train system aimed at easing traffic snarls in the Greater Metropolitan Area. President Rodrigo...

Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world's most revered wildlife advocates, has died at the...

Costa Rica’s President Clashes with TSE Over Campaign Rules

Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves has publicly criticized the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) for rules that limit how the government can share information during...

How the US Shutdown Could Disrupts Travel to Costa Rica

As the US federal government enters a partial shutdown starting today October 1, travelers heading to Costa Rica face potential hurdles. The impasse stems...

Panama Defends Canal Neutrality at UN Amid US-China Tensions

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino took the stage at the United Nations General Assembly this week, standing firm on his country's control over the...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica