Who Was The First Mexican Astronaut?
Who Was The First Mexican Astronaut?
Rodolfo Neri Vela, born on February 19, 1952, in Chilpancingo, Guerrero state, Mexico, is a Mexican scientist and engineer who made history by becoming the first Mexican citizen to venture into space.
Neri Vela obtained his B.S. degree in mechanical and electronic engineering, with a specialization in communications technology, from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1975. He further pursued an M.S. degree, specializing in telecommunications systems, from the University of Essex in Colchester, England, in 1976, and a doctorate in electromagnetic radiation from the University of Birmingham, England, in 1979.
After returning to Mexico, Neri Vela joined the Radiocommunications Group at the Institute of Electrical Research in Cuernavaca, Morelos state, and also served as the head of the Department of Planning and Engineering of the Morelos Satellite Program at the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation. He was a full-time postgraduate lecturer and researcher at UNAM.
Neri Vela's achievement of becoming the first Mexican to journey into space occurred when he served as a payload specialist on the STS-61-B crew of the space shuttle Atlantis. He embarked on his space mission on November 26, 1985, and spent seven days in space before returning to Earth on December 3, 1985. During the mission, Neri Vela and his team members deployed three communication satellites, including the Mexican satellite Morelos-B, and carried out various scientific experiments on behalf of the Mexican government.
Later, Neri Vela worked at the European Space Agency in The Netherlands from 1989 to 1990, where he played a role in planning a section of the International Space Station. Additionally, he authored several books on space.
To sum up, Rodolfo Neri Vela is a prominent Mexican scientist and engineer who accomplished the remarkable feat of becoming the first Mexican citizen to travel to space. He has made notable contributions to the fields of engineering, telecommunications, and space exploration, and has also shared his knowledge through his written works.
